56 



fence rails and posts were often covered with crawling worms, some- 

 times not less than a dozen worms b'eing found on the top of a single 

 tall post, while others wore seen going up one side as others were 

 going down the opposite. Some specimens were even found under the 

 loose bark on the posts and rails, where they had probably crept for 

 shelter. One specimen thus found was in the jaws of a 4arge hairy 

 spider, Salticus sp. 



Adjacent to this wheat-field was a large field of Timothy, containing 

 17 acres, the blades of which had been cut off by the worms as clean as 

 cattle could have done. Mr. Jones, the ov^seer, informed me this 

 field would have harvested not less than three tons of hay to theacrej 

 but now it would not pay for the cutting. 



At one side of this field, the side next the wheat, the worms had 

 congregated in countless numbers, every square foot having not less 

 than 30 to 50 worms. The worms were now coming out of this field 

 and going into the adjoining wheat-field and crossing the lane into 

 the opposite fields in great numbers, and it was here that we ob- 

 served a flock of the common English sparrows and a few robins pick- 

 ing out the smaller worms and feeding on them. Mr. Jones informed 

 us the English sparrows had been thus busily engaged all the past 

 week, and it gives us pleasure to record here this fact in favor of the 

 despised bird. 



Some distance off from this field was another one of wheat, contain- 

 ing probably 20 acres, in which the worms were even more numerous, 

 and they had already sufficiently injured it to render the crop unprofit- 

 able to harvest. A deep, broad ditch had been dug along one side, 

 and it was now, about 5 o'clock p. m., black with worms. It seemed 

 to us a pity that these worms were not killed, as many of them were 

 able to crawl up the sides and escape into adjoining fields. 



Facing this field was a large corn-field of probably 75 acres, of which 

 50 acres had already been destroyed, and there was but a slight chance 

 that any of the corn still left would escape, although by ditching an 

 effort was being made to save it. Of the 50 acres destroyed 30 acres 

 had already been replanted, and in the newly plowed portion the worms 

 were seen moving about in all directions, having just entered it from 

 the adjoining wheat ; it is probable that most of these will die of starva- 

 tion or from the effects of the hot sun in the middle of the day. 



We were particularly struck with what Professor Eiley has written 

 about the Army Worm not feeding on Clover. Of the several clover-fields 

 we saw the worms passed entirely through them, eating the Timothy, 

 other grasses, and some weeds, but leaving the Clover almost untouched. 

 A few of the leaves and some of the heads were slightly eaten, but no 

 appreciable injury was observed. Only once did I actually observe a 

 worm eating it, and that was a single half-grown specimen curled up on 

 the head devouring the most palatable portions. 



The present outbreak seems to be quite local, within a radius of 10 to 



