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\ 
air. When full grown it is a little over an inch in length. When 
bout to transform it goes into the ground for that purpose and 
hanges to a chrysalis about three-fourths of an inch long. 
The moths come out in July and August and deposit eggs for an¬ 
ther brood of the caterpillars that pass the winter in the ground in a 
jorpid state. 
The moth is not quite an inch and a half across the wings. The 
ront wings are of a dark gray color which has a very slight purplish 
inge, the end of the wings being some darker than the general color, 
'he usual transverse bands are present and are very distinct, and of a 
ark brown color, almost black. The round or orbicular spots and the 
3niform or kidney-shaped spots are gray surrounded by the same dark 
olor, and are very distinct. If we compare this with the Climbing 
Rustic the markings will be seen to be about the same but the color 
Quch darker. 
THE LANCE RUSTIC —(Agrotis ypsilon —Rott.) 
The larva is the Greasy or Black Cut-worm. 
Although some species of our Cut-worms may be locally more num- 
rous in individuals this one has about as wide a range as any, at least 
n the United States. In reference to its distribution in Illinois I 
ave had it reported to me curing the past season from various parts 
f the State as one of the species especially destructive in corn-fields 
nd gardens, a few of which I will mention. 
A. S. VanWinkle, of Trenton, Clinton County, writes that it “does 
Dnsiderable damage to corn crops, etc.” 
C. E. Worthington reports it from the vicinity of Chicago. 
E. R. Boardman, of Elmira, Stark County, writes in regard to this 
pecies: “They were very abundant on some pieces of meadow land 
hat were broken up in the fall and planted with corn last spring, 
found them mostly on dry rolling ground, where they did consider- 
ble damage to the crops. They disappeared about the 15th of June, 
t least I could find very few after that date.” 
The above was a part of a letter bearing date of November 24th, 
.877, and what is worthy of notice here is that this seemed to be the 
re vailing species in that locality the past season according to his ob- 
irvations, as the Variegated Cut-worm was the most abundant in 
Washington County, though the other was present. Thus we find that 
\ is not always the same species that does the damage in the same 
>cality different seasons. I find from the collections made in the vi- 
inity of Carbondale that the southern part of the State was also rep- 
3sented. 
Prof. Riley, in speaking of the habits of this Cut-worm, says r 
Though it has not, so far as I am aware, the climbing habit, it has a 
lost emphatic and pernicious cutting habit.” 
The worms vary considerably from an almost uniform dark greasy 
ray color with a faint stripe of dull dirty yellow along the back, to 
dull leaden brown inclining to black. It is to the latter form that 
tie appellation of Black Cut-worm will apply. The worm reaches its 
