269 
THE ARMY WORM IN 1894. 
During the season of 1893 the army worm, Leucania unipuncta, was 
reported several times from the States of Michigan and Wisconsin in 
June, and later in the season the so-called wheat-head army worm, or 
fall army worm, occupied practically the same territory. The present 
year in certain Eastern States the army worm has done more damage 
than has been reported to us since 1881. Beginning on May 29, when 
it was reported from Richmond, Ya., specimens have been received at 
frequent intervals down to September (3. The record reads : Richmond, 
Va., May 29; Chester, Ya., June 5; Easthampton, Long Island, X. Y., 
July 9; Augusta, Wis., July 10; Nadeau, Mich., July 18; Wausau, 
Wis., July 19; Conner, Pa., July 21; New Canton, Ya., August 16; 
Belle Haven, Ya., August 23; Woodford, Ya., August 25; Lincoln, 
Del., September 6; St. Stephens Church, Ya., September 11. 
There is no doubt about the determination in any of these cases, as 
specimens have invariably been sent to the Department. This late 
occurrence of the insect in injurious numbers in Virginia and Dela- 
ware is entirely unprecedented. It has long been known that there 
are from four to five generations annually in the former State, and while 
in the majority of instances it is the first generation of larvae, i. e., the 
offspring of the moths into which the over- wintered larva? develop, 
which constitutes the injurious generation, as long ago as 1880, in 
the columns of the New York Semi- weekly Tribune, the writer gave an 
instance of a destructive army composed of individuals of the second 
generation. There can be little or no doubt that the occurrences of late 
August and early September in parts of Yirginia illustrates the possi- 
bility of the development in injurious numbers of at least a third 
annual generation. 
We can offer no suggestions as to the reasons for this anomalous 
occurrence, but it is only an evidence that there are possibilities of 
injury by the army worm which have been hitherto unsuspected. The 
early indications that 1894 would prove to be an army worm year were 
so strong that a circular was issued by the Division during the first 
part of June, and a copy will be sent to all applicants. The remark- 
able character of the late appearance of the worms is indicated by the 
opening sentence of this circular, in which it is stated that " In the 
months of May and June, and sometimes as late as July, wheat, oats, 
and other small grains, corn, timothy, blue grass, and other grasses, 
but seldom or never clover, are occasionally overrun, 7 ' etc. 
ABUNDANCE OF CHAR^EAS GRAMINIS IN SCOTLAND. 
On pages 48 and 49 of the current volume of Insect Life, we referred 
to the extraordinary numbers of the larva? of Heliophohus popularis 
in northern France during 1893, which was ascribed to the extremely 
long continued dry weather of that season. We have noticed in the 
