67 
case, and changes into the chrysalis state. Before the middle of 
July the perfect insects begin to make their appearance in the 
character of small gray moths belonging to the family of Tinekke. 
The antennae setaceous and simple; labial palpi long and recurved; 
maxillary palpi short and distinct; wings narrow and applied to 
the sides of the body when at rest. Length four and a half lines, 
or less than half an inch. Color light gray, slightly varied above 
with brown. Across the end of the wings are three oblique black¬ 
ish lines, the terminal one consisting of a series of black points. 
“The larvae of this species, if permitted to multiply without 
check, would become a source of serious damage. Indeed, several 
years ago some of my plum trees became almost entirely covered 
with them. But by assiduously picking them off and burning them, 
my garden is now almost entirely free from them. In this opera¬ 
tion I have been assisted by some of our winter birds, especially 
the tree sparrow (Fringilla canadensis ), which I have seen busily 
tearing open ’the clusters of matted leaves in search, no doubt, of 
the larvae concealed in them. 
“I sent specimens of this insect, and also a description of the 
leaf hopper mentioned above to my friend Dr. Harris, of Massa¬ 
chusetts, and have been informed that he has not met with either 
of them in the Eastern States.” 
In the issue of the same journal for May 17, 1860, Mr. Walsh 
publishes an extended account of the life history of this insect, 
for which he proposes the scientific name Pliycita nebulo, and 
suggests that it may be popularly known as the rascal leaf- 
crumpler. He had found the larvae feeding on the leaves of apple, 
crab, and plum-trees. 
The more important scientific portions of this article were re¬ 
published in the Proceedings of the Boston Society of Natural 
History for 1863 (Yol. IX., pp. 312, 313). 
There next appears in the “Prairie Farmer” for April 27,1867 (p. 
279), a note from a correspondent residing at Illiopolis, Ill., concern¬ 
ing a ‘ Worm on apple-trees, which is becoming very troublesome, and 
in many instances destroys the entire crop, and nearly always strips 
the trees of all early leaves.” From the description given, Mr. 
Piiley identified the insect as the leaf crumpler, and in reply gives 
a brief summary of its life history, with the following recom¬ 
mendations for its destruction: “There is no better method of 
destroying the worms than by picking and killing in winter, 
though you may do much quicker service by building fires in the 
orchard the latter part of June and July, into which the moths, 
unconscious of their fate, will plunge by hundreds, and thus a 
stitch in time will not only save nine, but fully ninety-nine.” 
Again in the issue of the same journal for August 3, 1867, ap¬ 
pears the query of a correspondent from Franklin county, Iowa, 
concerning an insect “that is injurious to trees, fastening itself 
upon the limbs and killing them.” Mr. Riley identified the insect 
