52 
covered with their numbers. August 21 we received another commu- 
nication from Mr. Willis, containing very complete notes on the plants 
affected on Orcas Island. San Juan County. Wash. In the case of 
attack on beets the stems were sometimes bored out and cut off at the 
surface of the ground, the leaves being eaten in some cases. The 
leaves of young cabbage were devoured, while of older cabbages the 
heart was usually attacked. Of turnips the green portions of the 
leaves were devoured, leaving only the stalks, the roots being eaten 
to a shell. The leaves and upper portion of the roots of carrots were 
devoured, and beans were injured by the cutworms boring into the 
pods, s-ometimes eating the beans within. Peas were similarly affected. 
young plants just before flowering being " eaten clean." The tops of 
onions were eaten off level with the ground, leaving only the roots. 
Of tomatoes thedeaves and fruit were eaten, as were also the leaves of 
corn and the inside husks on the cobs. Entire lettuce plants were 
eaten. Only the leaves of potatoes were usually attacked, leaving the 
stalks, but the tubers were often eaten into and sometimes riddled 
with holes. The foliage of apple, pear, and plum was attacked and 
windfalls of fruit were eaten to the core; ripe fruit was greatly pre- 
ferred to green. Squash and vegetable marrow were untouched. 
The same day Mr. Thomas Oswald sent pupa? from Wynooche. Wash., 
with information that the "old settlers" of that neighborhood were 
authority for the statement that this cutworm was present in that 
county thirty or thirty-five years previously, had been injurious for 
one year, and had not returned until 1900. 
Writing September 1, Mr. Willis stated that toward the end of the 
month of August the cutworms had practically disappeared, only four 
being found on the day of writing. In a field that had been fall- 
plowed and left in fallow and had become grown up with weeds this 
cutworm was found to eat plantain, clover, and fireweed. the latter 
appearing to be the favorite food. Injury was complicated in the case 
of attack to onions, an unknown green caterpillar being associated with 
the cutworm. The latter severed the onion stalks above the ground, 
and individuals of the other species appeared to go down inside of a 
leaf and eat about the root. 
As an instance of the numbers of this species. Mr. R. A. Easton. 
Dora. Oreg.. writing September 18. 1900. stated that he had been 
informed that 202 of these cutworms had been dug up from a piece 
of ground only 1 by 2 feet in size. 
September 20. Mr. Carroll Fowler. Berkeley. Cal.. sent specimens 
of reared moths with the information that they were received from 
Mendocino County, and that the species also occurred in Humboldt 
County, in California. In the former county the caterpillars were 
stated to have destroyed several acres of onions, and afterwards 60 acres 
of garden peas. The moths emerged September 18. 
