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mer reports are full of such expressions as the following which I se¬ 
lect at random from that part of the monthly report now before me 
relating to Illinois: “Corn comes up unevenly.” “Corn in many in¬ 
stances remains dry in the hill where planted, without sprouting. 
“Corn does not come up evenly.” “Corn was injured by cold weath¬ 
er.” “Corn, not half up.” “Corn is coming up badly,” etc. Yet the 
county next to the one complaining of dryness reports the season fav¬ 
orable, as does the ofie adjoining that complaining of cold, showing 
that something besides the climate was at work. 
The severed blade or shoot reveals the presence of the Cut-worms 
when these are the guilty culprits, but when the effect has been caused 
by insects injuring the planted grains, the germs or roots, the pres¬ 
ence of these foes is not so apparent, and hence the weather has the 
blame to bear. 
Among the chief insect pests of this cereal which attack it at 
this early stage, are the well-known Wire-worms, therefore we begin 
our list with them. 
Although the article on these worms in my former report is some¬ 
what full, yet the importance of the subject and the fact that it is by 
no means exhausted, will justify me in dwelling a little more at 
length upon their history and habits than would otherwise be neces¬ 
sary ; especially as their attacks in this country appear to be directed 
more commonly against the corn crop. 
Fig. 2. Wire-worm. 
For the benefit of those who may obtain this report but 
have not a copy of the former, the following extract 
from the descriptive part of the former article is inserted 
here. 
“The worms are the larvae or grubs of a group or family of beeiles, 
known to entomologists as Elaters (. Eiateridx ), but recognized gener¬ 
ally by the common names, “Skip-jacks,” “Snapping-bugs,” “Spring- 
beetles,” “Click-beetles,” etc. They are known to every one who has 
felt sufficiently interested in the smaller works of creation to notice 
insects, by the curious method they adopt to recover their upright pos¬ 
ture when they chance to fall upon their backs. Their legs being too 
short to assist "them in turning over, nature has provided them with 
another means of regaining their proper position. This is operated 
by a sudden jerk or spring, accompanied by a clicking sound, hence 
the common names, each of which has reference in some way to this 
operation. 
“This group of insects is quite extensive, more than 500 North 
American species have been determined, about one-tenth of which are 
found in Illinois. As the larva3 of all these species are Wire-worms, 
it is evident that there must be several different kinds, which, though 
strongly resembling each other in general appearance and character* 
differ in detail and habits. A large number of them are found in the 
ground, where they feed upon the roots of grasses and grass-like plants: 
others reside under the loose bark of diseased and decaying trees, and 
