STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
813 
CORRESPONDENCE RELATIVE TO THE INSECT THAT DESTROYS 
THE COTTON PLANT. 
To Thomas Say Esq., 
Prof, of Natural History , University of Pennsylvania. 
Sir! I have for several years paid some attention to an insect 
which has infested our cotton, whose character and species I 
have been very desirous of ascertaining. I addressed a letter 
to Mr. Stephen Elliot on this subject and he referred ine to you, 
not being able to give me the description wanted. I also sent 
to Dr. Samuel Mitchell of New-York, but he likewise was not 
able to give any satisfactory account, and referred me to Mr. 
Le Cont; but owing to some adventitious circumstances I never 
heard from him, and have now taken the liberty of addressing 
you, although an entire stranger, and must make my love of the 
sciences generally, as well as my desire to be acquainted on 
this particular point, my excuse. I have therefore sent a box 
containing the moths. They were put into the box in the cat¬ 
erpillar state, with a few cotton leaves to feed on. After a 
time they went into the pupa state and finally becamo moths. 
I have written an essay on these insects which is incomplete 
from not knowing their scientific name and character. If you 
will so far oblige me, please address a few lines on the subject 
to your obedient servant, C. W. CAPERS. 
New-Harmony Nov. 1, 1827. 
Sir 1 I received your interesting communication of the date 
of Jan. 21, not until Thursday last, and how to account for its 
long detention I know not. It was brought by private convey¬ 
ance in due time from Philadelphia, so that the delay must 
have occurred in that city or on its way there. Any future 
package you may wish to send me, may be confided to the care 
of a house in New Orleans. 
I have carefully examined the contents of the box which 
accompanied your letter. It contained several cotton moths, 
which aro much injured, but as far as I am enabled to judge by 
their remaining characters, they constitute a new species, of 
which I have made the following description. 
* Noctua, Fabr. 
N. xylina, Olivaceons, tinged with vinaceous ; superior wings 
with a black spot. 
