188 DISEASES OF THE COTTON PLANT. 
brown, or " flared " open, and, on the slightest touch, fall 
to the ground. Some of this damage may no doubt be 
caused by excessive moisture or heat, or by an unhealthy 
state of the plant itself. But if the ends of all the shoots 
be closely examined, it will generally be found that several 
minute insects lie hidden between the folds of the leaves 
and buds, probably feeding upon the tender foliage, or 
extracting the sap. The Aphis, or cotton-louse, is often 
found in such places. 
The Pea-Green Caterpillar. 
In the cotton fields near Tallahassee many of the tender 
leaves and young blossoms of vigorous and healthy plants 
were observed to be webbed together in a mass. Upon 
opening one of them, a small caterpillar, between three- 
fifths and seven-tenths of an inch in length, was discovered 
feeding upon the interior. This caterpillar is of a pea- 
green color, with a dark longitudinal stripe running down 
the middle of the back, and a row of two dark spots with 
white centres to each on every segment of the body, except 
the first, running parallel on each side of the dark stripe. 
Tlie head is black; the first segment of the same color, 
with a dividing line of white between it and the head, and 
another light division between this and the second segment. 
The pectoral feet are black, and the body sparingly clothed 
with short bristles, or hairs. 
This caterpillar, for the most part, lives and feeds in 
the terminal shoots ; but I have found it webbed up be- 
tween the outer calyx and boll of the cotton, or in the 
calyx of the flower. 
The chrysalis, which is of a light-brown color, is about 
two-fifths of an inch in length, and is formed in the same 
