40 
but the time allowed for experimenting was not sufficient to exhaust the 
various means which may be resorted to. 
I think it probable a flock of chickens would have aided me more 
than all the applications, but unfortunately these had been banished 
from the garden tor injuring the tomatoes. 
Their smaller size renders it more difficult to pick them off than 
the other worms. 
It also feeds with equal avidity on turnip and horse radish leaves. 
I think it quite probable that this is a southern species, which, like 
the Rice weevil (Sitodrepa oryzce ) made its appearance in this latitude 
through the influence of the more than usually long continued warm 
weather of the past autumn. It is undoubtedly two if not three brooded 
in a year. If I am correct in this opinion, it is not likely that Illinois 
will ever be seriously troubled with it so long as our seasons remain 
as they have usually been. 
ihe limited group to which this species belongs is widely distributed 
over the world, most of them in the larva state, feeding on cruciferous 
plants, one only, the cabbage-garden Pebble Moth (Pionea forficalis ), 
appears to injure cabbage and other useful vegetables in Europe. The 
caterpillar of this species is found in May and June and the second 
generation in September and October. It has a light brown head and 
a yellowish green body, with black stripes running length-wise, and 
blackish dots, having fine white lines between and white incisions and 
spiracles. It is quite common in England and on the continent and 
often does serious injury to the cabbages and horse-radish. No effectual 
method of destroying them has been found except picking them off by 
hand and killing them, which is very difficult in large patches. 
The discovery of the habits of our native species is quite interesting 
as it shows the great similarity in habits of species which are con¬ 
sidered closely allied by their external characters; and is a strong 
confirmation of the correctness of the present system of classification. 
THE CABBAGE PLUSIA .—Plusia brassicce. Riley. 
This species, which was first described and named as distinct by 
Prof. Riley in his second report, was previously either overlooked or 
confounded with the European PI. ni. Engr., the close resemblance of 
the two having led Guenee to consider them as identical. Until re¬ 
cently, Mr. Grote, who has made the group to which this belongs a 
special study, and who is perhaps our best authority in reference to 
the Noctiddae , was disposed to consider the two as one species, but 
he now decides the brassicae to -be a good species, an opinion con¬ 
curred in by Drs. Zeller and Speyer, and I believe most Lepidop- 
terists. 
A short account was given in my second report, but I have con¬ 
cluded, as it is a true cabbage insect, to give its history and charac- 
