[20] REPORT 4, UNITED STATES ENTOMOLOGICAL COMMISSION. 
The number of moths from the first brood of worms was very large ; they were not 
appreciably diminished by any enemies. The principal resting place by day was a 
part of the field in which the grass was thick and overlapped the middle of the rows ; 
1) y night these went over well nigh the whole field, depositing eggs mostly on the large, 
full grown leaves about one-third the height of the plant from the ground. Of the 
next brood of worms a large proportion bore eggs of the Tachina fly, the maggot from 
which destroyed a great many chrysalids ; specimens of larva} bearing Tachina eggs 
I forwarded to you. Whilst the moths were so abundant I put out in the fields some 
pans containing poisoned sweets as follows : 
(1) Molasses and vinegar and white arsenic. 
(2) Molasses and vinegar and corrosive sublimate. 
(3) Molasses and vinegar and potassium cyanide. 
(4) Molasses and vinegar and copper sulphate. 
(5) Molasses and vinegar and strychnine. 
In some cases I substituted for vinegar alcohol and water. 
I did not succeed in destroying many. The fluid in the pan was covered by a per- 
forated top. In this way the greatest effect was by molasses, vinegar, and white ar- 
senic. 
But I destroyed a larger number by using open pans containing thick molasses with 
a little vinegar ; the moths were caught by the molasses. 
I noticed Aletia moths on flowers of Solidago or golden rod, which blooms here in 
September. I saw frequently the chrysalids of Aletia enveloped in the leaves of 
Morning Glory; but never saw the larvae feeding on that plant. On October 13 and 
14 the weather began to grow cool ; the wind blew from the northward ; it was not by 
any means cold enough for frost ; during this wind I observed Aletia moths moving 
southward, leaving the cotton field, and entering the wooded land lying south of the 
field. They frequently alighted on the oak leaves and remained a long time. They 
did not move in numbers together, but singly. I saw no eggs deposited on the oak 
leaves. 
On night of October 15 a cold rain fell, and by the afternoon of the 16th the greater 
part of the moths disappeared ; late that afternoon I looked carefully for them where 
they had been so abundant in the grass and found but a few ; those that remained 
were to a great degree benumbed and their movements much impaired. Larvae were 
still on the plants ; they, too, were affected by the cold. 
The three or four days succeeding were somewhat warmer, though the nights con- 
tinued cool, the thermometer being in the early morning as low as 41° F. Then the 
moths showed themselves more, but not a fifth of the number that were in the field 
prior to the 15th. I think a large proportion of these last issued from pupae during the 
warm days. 
On October 23 I visited the field after a considerable frost ; found the larvae still 
living, and leaving the upper frosted leaves for lower ones that had been sheltered ; 
many larvae fell, and were eaten by spiders and beetles. Several days later many 
worms and chrysalids fell and were eaten by hogs which searched the whole field. I 
searched in the grass and found some moths, almost in a state of torpor, scarcely able 
to move ; others had been devoured, as I knew from the wings found and from the 
partially consumed bodies of some. I reared many Aletia larvae and kept many 
chyrsalids for transformation. 
One was only ./we days a chrysalis, becoming a moth on the sixth day. 
VEGETABLE PREPARATIONS. 
I will now proceed to mention the vegetable preparations which I made in the hope 
of finding some indigenous plant possessing effectual insecticide properties. In every 
case, I used the plants or parts of plant after carefully drying them in the shade. 
(1) Ailanthus (Tree of Paradise): Made decoction three-fourths pound leaves to 
2 \ gallons water ; infusion, 1 pound, leaves to 2£ gallons of water. 
(2) Poke weed (Phytolacca) : Decoction, 8 ounces leaves to 1 gallon water ; infusion, 
8 ounces to 1 gallon water. Pokeweed root: extract, 2 ounces dried root to 1 gallou 
of mixture of alcohol and water in equal parts. 
(3) Ragweed (Ambrosia) : Decoction, 1 pound of stems and leaves to 1 gallon water. 
Infusion, as above, 8 ounces to one-half gallon alcohol and one-half gallon water 
mixed. 
(4) Jlelenium autumnale : 1 pound to 2i gallons water. Decoction and infusion. 
(5) Jlelenium tenuifolium : 1 pound to 2£ gallons water. Decoction and infusion. 
(C) Pennyroyal : 2 ounces to gallon of alcohol and water mixed. Extract, 2 pounds 
to gallon water. Decoction and infusion. 
(7) Datura stramonium (Jamestown weed) : Seed dried and ground. 8 ounces to 
quart of alcohol. 
(H) Mock orange ( / 'vmus Carolinians) : 4 ounces leaves to quart of water. Decoction. 
(9j Yeast ferment. 
(10) liuclceye (iEsculus) fruit. Extract. 
