44 REPORTS OF OBSERVATIONS AND EXPERIMENTS. 



and dispersion of the young; the unusual length of active larval life; 

 the occurrence of both sexes upon the leaves; the fact that the females 

 do not fix themselves until after impregnation, and, under certain not 

 well-understood conditions, a very remarkable preponderance of males. 



The Linden Leaf-Roller. — The only shade-tree pest of importance, not 

 observed in this locality previous to the past season, was the above- 

 named Pyralid (Pantographa limata Gr. & Bob.). This appeared on 

 both the native and European lindens (Tilia americana and T. europcca) 

 along the walks and on the lawns of many residents of Kirkwood,and 

 attracted general attention by the peculiar manner in which it twisted 

 the leaves. On the trees of the " Linden walk " in the grounds of Mr. 

 A. S. Mermod the insect occurred in such numbers that almost every 

 third leaf, of the European lindens especially, was thus rolled, and the 

 trees reminded one of Christmas trees covered with candles. 



The newly hatched larva begins its case by simply folding under a bit 

 of the edge of the leaf, severing the folded part at the end toward the 

 base, and feeding on the green tissue of the portion inclosed. After 

 the first molt, it effects another roll and by a series of stitch-like bands 

 of silk fastens it in place and continues the process until the entire 

 leaf (of the European linden) or the apical two-thirds of our native 

 species is included in the coil. During the day it feeds sparingly upon 

 the included portions of the leaf, but at night, when it spins and folds, 

 it also eats ragged holes in the adjacent leaves or gnaws their edges. 

 The nearly full-grown larvae sometimes desert the first case and form 

 a fresh and very perfect one shortly before leaving the tree for pupa- 

 tion. Within this case the larva rests in slovenly fashion among a lot 

 of sticky web and scattered frass. The larva and its case are described 

 by Prof. Fernald in the Canadian Entomologist (vol. xvi, p. 26). 



In the specimens examined this summer the form was rather sub- 

 cylindrical than fusiform and tapered only slightly posteriorly, and the 

 head and collar were more frequently brown than black. Prof. Fernald 

 also says: "While the imago of Pantographa limata Gr. is atypical 

 Pyralid, the larva is so very much like Tortricid larvae, both in struc- 

 ture and habits, that I unhesitatingly referred it to the Tortricidae till 

 it emerged." This is true of the larvae after the last molt or just 

 before changing, but the younger larvae have the somewhat slimy sur- 

 face and other less definite characteristics which the experienced 

 observer at once recognizes as peculiar to the leaf- feeding Pyralids. 

 When ready for transformation, the larva cuts a circular hole through 

 the side of its case and lets itself to the ground, where it forms from a 

 leaf a spacious, oval tent which it lines with silk, or more frequently 

 the leaf will be attached to the lower part of the trunk of the tree or 

 some other flat surface and will then be in the form of an eggshell 

 divided in half longitudinally and applied by the edges. In the rear- 

 ing cages, these large, low tents were affixed to the glass by numerous 

 stitch-like bands of silk, and the glass was so thinly coated with web 

 that the larva or pupa within was but slightly obscured from view. 



