204 
DISEASES OF THE COTTON PLANT. 
length ; tlie antennae are four-jointed ; the eyes, prominent 
and brown ; the piercer four-jointed, and, when at rest, re- 
curved under the body ; the ocelli are two in number ; the 
thorax rising from the head, and somewhat angular on the 
margin ; the wing-covers are reddish brown, with a distinct 
yellowish-white band across the middle ; the anterior and 
middle legs are reddish brown ; the hind-legs, however, are 
very singular in shape, the thighs being thick and spiny 
on their under side, and the tibia furnished with a broad 
flattened enlargement on each side, larger on the upper one 
and somewhat wing-shaped, with two teeth, or notches, on 
the margin. This makes the insect appear to have hind- 
legs entirely out of proportion to its size. These insects 
are very numerous in cotton fields, and may be seen flying 
from plant to plant during the heat of the day. 
There are several other insects found upon cotton ; but 
those mentioned above are the most numerous. The ques- 
tion now arises whether they have any thing to do with the 
" rot," or whether that disease is caused by a peculiar state 
of the atmosphere, or by imperfections of the soil. May 
not the punctures made by these insects, in some peculiar 
seasons, incline the boll to the rot more readily than in 
others, though in more favorable seasons it may be made 
with comparative impunity ? A singular circumstance, 
however, is rather against the insect theory, namely, that, 
while some particular cotton-plant is observed to be much 
aflected by the rot, the plants standing close to it may be 
comparatively free and healthy. On one diseased plant I 
counted seventeen rotted bolls, while the very next plants 
were green, and exhibited not the least sign of disease. 
The query as to whether the rot is caused by insects or the 
peculiar state of the soil or atmosphere, is here submitted 
for the purpose of inciting planters to make experiments, 
