95 
where the young feed till they cast their skins the first time, when 
Rey descend to tne ground and are thereafter true Cut-worms. Those 
Rat Prof. Riley reared from the eggs passed through all their changes 
in thirty-five clays, shedding their skins four times from May 24th, 
Re time they hatched, to June 15th, when they went into the ground 
:o transform to chrysalids. 
During the time that I had quite a number of these Cut-worms in 
i rearing cage, I fed them upon several different kinds of plants, for 
Re purpose of observing what they ate the most readily. The usual 
hod I gave these as well as other Cut-worms was Knot-grass ( Foly - 
janum aviculare ), a weed that is abundant about every dwelling, and 
which they ate readily. With this I from time to time gave them 
3orn, grass, peach leaves, the tender ends of grape vines, and also 
planted corn in. their cage. The grass and corn placed in the box 
were eaten sparingly, neither being very tender. The peach leaves 
md grape shoots were entirely consumed, while the ends of the young 
Roots of the corn planted in the box were eaten off at the surface as 
<oon as up, which of course did not kill the stalks as it only took off 
Re ends of the leaves. As there w r as plenty of food in the box all 
Re time they allowed the corn to grow, and as the stalks became 
larder they only ate from the sides of the leaves. From the above it 
is evident that as a corn insect this is not so injurious as some other 
species, especially where there are weeds in the corn to furnish them 
'ood when the spears of corn have become a little tough. It is also 
evident that where the corn is eaten by them it will not be liable to 
dll the corn, for the reason that it is cut off above the ground and 
vvill generally grow up again. 
THE CLANDESTINE OWLET MOTH —(Agrotis Clandestina —Harr.) 
The larva is the W-Marked Cut-worm. 
The first account we have of the habits of this worm is a commun- 
.cation from Dr. F. E. Melsheimer, of Dover, Penna., to Dr. Harris, in 
which the worm “is said to attack young corn, and to feed indiscrim- 
nately on all succulent plants, such as early sown buckwheat, young 
pumpkin plants, young beans, cabbage plants, and many other field 
md garden vegetables/’ Other writers have since corroborated these 
acts, besides adding some new points. 
Prof. Riley first gave a detailed description of this Cut-worm with 
i name characteristic of its appearance, though the moth was one of 
Re four or five described by Dr. Harris in his “Insects Injurious to 
V r egetation.” It was given the name of W-Marked Cut-worm on ac¬ 
count of the charactedstic markings resembling this letter, which it 
aas on its back. The general color of the caterpillar is ash-gray in¬ 
clining to dirty yellow on the back and upj)er sides, with the black 
md brown spots on the back so arranged as to bear a general resem- 
Dlance, when seen from behind, to the letter W, though this is not ap¬ 
parent in the thoracic segments. In the young worms the color is a 
