12 THE CHINCH RUG. 
It therefore seems probable that no young arc produced as a result 
of the late pairing, at least until spring, ami it has vet to be shown 
that the lat<- appearing larva- do not mature before the hibernating 
season sets in. or else die during the winter. When we come t<> con- 
sider the extreme susceptibility of the newly hatched chinch bug t<> 
wet weather, less perhaps in case of the short-winged form, it will he 
apparent that as we approach the Tropic- the wet ami dry seasons 
would tend to influence the breeding seasons, a- those individuals that 
hatched before the close of the rainy season would he. in a measure at 
least, continually eliminated, while those that hatched so late as to he 
caught in the commencement of the rainy season would also he to an 
equal extent destroyed, and thus, by continually restricting the breed- 
ing period to certain month-, establish a fixed law that would he ad- 
hered to even under the somewhat different condition- which occur 
farther to the northward. Unfortunately the date or date- on which 
the young were observed by Mr. Champion, on Volcan de Chiriqui, 
in Panama, are unknown to the writer, and it i- impossible to say 
w let her or not they were found during or near the dry season. 
In an article on the hibernation of the chinch bug, Mr. C. L. Mar- 
ian call- particular attention to the fact that in Kansas the chinch 
bug in autumn seek- the dense stools of some of the wild grasses in 
which to hibernate, and to such an extent did this occur that it was 
suggested as probably the normal hibernating habit of the species. 
Before entering into a discussion of this matter, it will be well to 
present two communications received from the late Dr. J. C. Xeal. at 
that time of Stillwater. Okla. As Doctor Xeal was located in a sec- 
tion of the country where, in many cases, civilization had not in- 
fluenced to such a marked degree the natural insect fauna, the author 
applied to him to secure some exact information in regard to the 
chinch bug under such conditions. The correspondence, however. 
was terminated suddenly by Doctor Neal's death. The two letter- 
here given are among the last he ever penned. They are of a some- 
what general nature, and will be referred to later in this discussion. 
Oklahoma Agbich ltubal and Mechanical College. 
Stillwater, Okla., October .,'/. 1895. 
My I Mai: Sii: : Years of the 28th ]*US1 received. Lnsi year was the firsl wheat 
year in most of the new additions to this Territory, and from all sections the 
cry was for infection, as "the bugs are ruining us." I received letters from 
every county in the strip and in the western sections. The most damage was 
done in the extreme southern range of counties, and near Okarche 1 see map. 
fig. 10) the damage was excessive. I do net think there is a single acre in this 
er Indian Territory thai is net saturated, so t«> speak, with the chinch bug. 
You may put this whole area down as within the infested boundary line. 
My belief is thai the increase of country roads, the decrease of March Ores, 
tlie shiftless habits of the vast majority of our farmers in allowing volunteer 
sed Life, Vol. VII. pp. 'iwi 234, L894. 
