ANSWERS TO CIRCULAR NO. 
[83] 
house- oOTered with shingles, or iu corners of fences made of rails with the bark on 
them. Just before sunset, after oue of these warm days, they will come out and fly 
around. At this time they do not possess the same brilliant colors that they do in 
spring and summer when they are depositing their eggs, and oue not perfectly 
acquainted with them might mistake them for another species. They therefore pass 
the winter in the butterfly form, in a semi-torpid condition: yet. strange to remark, 
e/f Mtmf, tin- tii st thing seen of them in the spring of the year is the worm itself. 
ti. First, birds (J re*) of various kinds and conditions feed more or less on them: 
among others I will mention the mocking-bird | Orpkt HI pohjgloltus of Linmeus). This 
bird feeds extensively on the Cotton Caterpillar (Aletia xi/limi) in the early months 
of it s existence : but they are not gregarious, hence their work is little appreciated in 
this direction, tiny not being disposed to go in flocks or localize or concentrate their 
destruet i veness. 
This present year i 1*7'J) the Cotton Worms have not developed as rapidly and as 
numerously as they have done usually heretofore, and among other causes retarding 
their progress has been pointed out as their great enemy the red-winged black-bird 
(Agelau* phceniceuu). This bird has been seen in large flocks til the cottou-tields very 
early this year. These birds have been seen frequenting our fields and forests in great 
numbers late in the autumnal season, but have never been known here in the mouths 
of July and August before. One planter told me that he saw one flock of at least forty 
thonsand in the cotton-field! This number may have been considerably exaggerated, 
l)in there is no question that they have been in the cotton-fields during these early 
months, July and August, in very great (plant i ties, such as have never been seen before. 
I have been informed that t hey teed upon t he w 01 ins in t hree of their forms, the butter- 
fly, caterpillar, and chrysalis. These birds should be protected and permitted to build 
their nests nudist urbed by the hunter's .shot or idle boy's hand. Many other solitary 
birds feed upon them, but their work is not appreciated. 
As to quadrupeds, there are none known, with perhaps the single exception of the 
raccoon (I'rovyon lotor). He has been seen feeding on them, and planters inform me 
that they ha\ e seen the tops of the stalks bent and broken, evidently the work of the 
coon in search of the caterpillar. 
Insects. Ants (family tormuida , order 7/y/m unptrra have always been looked upon 
as one of the most inveterate enemies of the Cotton Caterpillar, destructive to them 
in all of their four different tonus. They will detach the egg from the leaf and bear 
it off to theil formicary: attack and kill t he w orm either in its active eating state or 
when under the torpid it \ of t he second oi chry sal is state, and it it is possible for them 
to capture a butterfly it shares the same fate. It may be owing to their inability to 
procreate and move about during wet weather that -the worms are enabled to escape 
their depredations. It is a well-known fact that the female ant is winged, hence it is 
plain to be seen that wet weather will considerably interfere with their proper func- 
tional office. The female ants are furnished at their exclusion with two pairs of wings, 
which after swarming in concourse with the males they almost immediately cast. 
The office of the perfect or winged female is to prbvide a constant supply of eggs for 
the maintainance of the population. Rainy weather can therefore keep the female 
ant " cribbed, cabined, and confined" to her prison life; if she is permit ted to venture 
forth it is possible for her to be lost in the storm. The suberabundant surface-water 
remaining after heavy rains will greatly impede the active operations of the "neu- 
ters,'* or working ants, whose office it is to supph and protect the colony. 
The w asp (genus Vespti, order Uymtnopiera) attacks the worm, and will carry them 
off to feed their young, and should they be so unfortunate as to drop one on the 
ground M rente, the ants will be certain to pick it up. 
There is a small chinch-bug constantly found on the cotton-plant leaf, w hich un- 
doubtedly feeds on the ova or eggs of the butterflies. They are not numerous, how- 
ever, and are too small and insignificant to do any great amount of damage or inter- 
fere materially with the rapid increase of the worms. 
9. The only eflort ever made in this parish to destroy the butterflies has been by 
Area at night. They arc easily attracted by the "glitter of a garish flame" at night, 
and great quantities can be destroyed in this manner. It, however, requires concert 
of action on the part of a large number of planters, which has never been done. As 
to attracting them by sugar. A:c. it is generally believed that the butterfly does not 
take nourishment during its short life, or, if it does, the quantity is too smail for them 
to be successfully poisoned. 
10. They will be attracted only by the lights. 
11. I do not know of any flowers that will attract them. They are not seen ou any 
other plant than the cotton. 
12. Nothing. 
13. Nothiug. 
14. First, as to the plant : If the mixture is put on too highly concentrated it will 
kill leaves, blooms, aud bolls. Second, as to man: When any portion of the cuticle is 
abraded and the mixture allowed to get on this particular place, it is apt to cause local 
