18 
The first food of the worm is the eggshell from which it has just 
issued. No sooner is the young larva fully out of its shell than it crawls 
away once or twice its length, turns around, and eats the shell either 
entirely or but a portion of it. This done it crawls about a short time 
until it finds a spot suited to its taste, usually first spreading a few 
threads of a frail web. Under this the worm feeds on the epidermis of 
whatever surface it may have selected. Often they crawl but a short 
distance, drop themselves down by a slender thread until another sur- 
face is struck, when they crawl away as before and begin feeding. 
Before the first molt the larvae feed principally outside of the young 
forms and squares on whatever surface they may be when hatched. 
At about the time of the first molts, or soon thereafter, they begin seek- 
ing out the forms, blossoms, and squares and begin their destructive 
work of boring into them. It must be stated, however, that from the 
first a few may be found to go directly to a small form or square and 
either boring through the involucre and thence into the blossom or 
fruit, or else first crawling between the involucre and fruit and then 
boring into the latter. Often, too, they at first simply hide behind the 
involucre, eating the epidermis from the inside and boring into the fruit 
later. Preferring the tender growing portions of the branches, the 
youuger worms after finding them secrete themselves in the opening 
clusters of leaf and flower buds and begin boring. 
Their first feedings upon the leaves, whether on the upper or lower 
surface, are principally confined to the epidermis. About the time of 
the first molt they begin to eat small holes through the leaves. This 
is not continued long, however, as at this time the worms begin their 
search for the forms and squares. During the youuger period the worms 
feed most on the reprodutive organs of young forms or such as are 
nearly grown and opening. Some time later, after about the second molt, 
they begin boring more plentifully into the larger bolls. The older 
worms, while feeding principally in larger bolls, do not confine them- 
selves to them and are often found devouring a form or opening blos- 
soms. Due to their choice of food (speaking only of the bulk) the 
younger worms are found mostly on the younger tender-growing por- 
tions of the cotton plant, and the more nearly grown ones on the more 
mature portions. For a change the full-grown worm sometimes feeds 
on a leaf or eats through the green stem of a newly formed branch. 
Stems which were .25-.30 inch in diameter and having above them a 
number of forms have been observed to be eaten nearly through by 
them. A day or two after the branch would be found wilted or nearly 
broken off. 
The habits of the worm, as to the manner in which a boll is entered 
and the extent to which it feeds upon the same after it has entered, are 
also rather variable. The worm may pass in behind the involucre and 
bore into the boll from the inside, or it may choose to do so from the 
outside, eating through the involucre and then into the boll. The hole 
is usually bored from the bottom and passes towards the apex; fre- 
