59 



LITERATURE. 



The first mention of this insect which I am able to find occurs 

 •on page 32 of Volume II. of the "American Entomologist," in a 

 brief note concerning "Apple-tree Worms," being a reply to a 

 query of Mr. H. K. Yickroy, of Champaign, Illinois, who had found 

 the larva "doing considerable damage to the apple-tree" at that 

 place. The editors there say: "These larvae were first communi- 

 cated to us by A. C. Hammond, of Warsaw, Illinois, early in 

 September, 1868; and subsequently, at the Illinois State Fair, 

 .specimens were shown to us by W. T. Nelson, of' Wilmington, 

 Illinois. At the latter end of May, 1869, we bred the moth from 

 them, and a full account of the species, illustrated by figures, will 

 appear in the Second Annual Report of the senior editor. The 

 mode in which this larva operates on the apple-tree is by tying 

 together the leaves with silken cords, forming a mass of consid- 

 erable size inside which it lives gregariously, skeletonizing the 

 leaves that it has thus appropriated, and filling them with its gun- 

 powder-like excrement. It was so abundant in 1868, near Warsaw 

 and Quincy, as nearly to strip many trees, especially in young 

 orchards that were in an unthrifty condition * * * * . To 

 distinguish gur species from the Rascal Leaf-crumpler, we may 

 call it, in English, 'Hammond's Leaf-tyer' {Ac7')^asis liammondi, 



L. Sp)." 



But on account of the untimely death of the senior editor, Mr. 

 Walsh, November 12, 1869, the Second Report alluded to in the 

 above paragraph was never published, and the next mention of the 

 species occurs in Dr. Riley's Fourth Report as State Entomologist 

 of Missouri (p*. 44), where its life history and habits are treated 

 of, tlie descriptions being accompanied with illustrations of the 

 moth and larva. Concerning its habits and the effect of its in- 

 juries, Dr. Riley writes as follows: 



"In the fall of the year the foliage of trees in young orchards, 

 and especially in the nursery, often wears a blighted, corroded, 

 rusty look, and upon carefully examining it such appearance will be 

 found to result from the gnawings of this little Skeletonizer. A 

 badly infested orchard or nursery presents such a decidedly seared 

 aspect that it attracts attention at a great distance; and while 

 traveling by rail I have often pointed out the work of this insect 

 and felt as sure of its presence in certain orchards, as though I 

 had closely examined the trees. 



"The rusty appearance is produced by the worm's feeding solely 

 on the green pulpy parts of the upper surface of the leaf, and 

 thus leaving untouched the more fibrous frame- work. In some 

 cases the pulpy portions are eaten off very thoroughly, so that 

 nothing remains but the semi-transparent epidermis below, and 

 the net- work of veins; but more usually a certain amount of the 

 parenchyma is left, and this it is which acquires a bright rust- 

 red appearance. The worm always covers the leaf with loose ten- 

 der silken threads, with which it mixes numerous little black, 



