89 
Besides these, the condition of the weather has much to do with in¬ 
sect life. Inclement weather at the time of hatching may destroy great 
numbers of them. It is evident, too, that more damage is done by 
them in the spring, if the weather is only moderately warm and 
moist, than if it be dry and warmer. I observed last spring that 
daring a week of such dry weather the Variegated Cut-worms ceased 
to work in the garden, where they had been very numerous before, 
though they did not go into the pupa state until some davs after this 
in my rearing boxes. 
For the convenience of farmers who may want to identify Cut¬ 
worms or their moths, there will be given here a general description 
of such species as are commonly found in corn fields. The balance of 
the group, so far as known to occur in the State, and the scientific 
description will be found in part second. 
THE BLACK—C-RUSTIC —(Agrotis c-nigrum —Li n n.) 
The larva is the Spotted Cut-worm. This worm when found is 
usually about an inch long, of ash gray color irregularly spotted on 
the sides with brown, while along the subdorsal region is a row of 
somewhat triangular brown spots, broader behind than before. In 
the southern part of the State they may be found in fields and gar¬ 
dens about the last of April or the first of May, soon after which they 
enter into the chrysalis state, appearing as moths from the middle to 
the last of. May. The moth has the fore wings of a purplish ash color 
with.the light orbicular spot or the spot near the middle of the wing 
that is circular in most Cut-worm moths, so opened that the black 
surrounding it bears some resemblance to the letter C. 
Little seems, to be known of the actual habits of this Cut-worm, 
though the moth has been known for sometime, and it seems to be 
widely distributed. While in confinement it ate the same kind of 
food and seemed to have the same habits as our most common Cut¬ 
worms. 
C. L. Worthington, of Chicago, says that it, in connection with sev¬ 
eral others, “is very abundant here as an injurious insect, very de¬ 
structive to cabbages and almost every young vegetable.” 
As my observations confirm the above I will insert this brief account 
of it here. The position in which I have found them rather suggests 
that they have, the climbing habit also. Last April I found a chrysa¬ 
lis of this species at the roots of a soft maple (Acer dasycarpuin ) above 
the ground in the dead grass. A few days afterwards l found a worm 
at the roots of a peach tree. This of course is not proof positive but 
is what the courts would term circumstantial evidence. For other 
characters and observations see part second. 
THE GOTHIC DART —(Agrotis subgothica —Haw.) 
The larva is the Dingy Cut-worm. This caterpillar, named by Prof. 
Riley in his first report the Dingy Cut-worm, closely resembles the 
