7 
“Eleven years afterwards the same kind of a worm appeared 
again, but they were" few in number.’'—Cultivator, 10th Aug. 
“1790—Millions of the same black worm reappeared in Hartford 
and Norwich, Conn.” 
“1817—It appeared May 22d, in Worcester; also in Albany.” 
From 1817 until 1861 we find no further mention of its appear¬ 
ance in the Eastern States, but during this interval it appears to 
have been frequently noticed in the Western States. 
The following dates given for Illinois were gathered chiefly by Mr. 
Walsh, from the statements of old settlers: 1818 or 1820, 1825, 
1826, 1884, 1888, 1841, 1842, 1845, 1849, 1856 and 1857. The visita¬ 
tion in each case being local, 1818 or 1820, 1838, 1842, 1856 and* 
1857, to Union county; 1825, 1826, 1834, 1839, 1841 and 1842, to 
Perry county; 1842, 1845 and 1858, to northern counties. Mention 
is also made of its visiting Vermilion county in 1835, and the Okaw 
region in 1850. 
It appears to have been noticed in Central Missouri in 1854, and 
Northern Ohio in 1855. 
In 1861, when it reached the maximum of its development, it was 
observed throughout the northern and middle portion of the United 
States, from Maine to Kansas, and as far south as Tennessee. 
According to Prof. Kiley, it attracted some attention in limited 
localities in Illinois and Missouri, in 1865 and 1866. In 1869 it 
appeared in considerable numbers in Missouri, and parts of Illinois 
and Indiana. In 1871 it was reported in parts of Iowa and in two 
counties in Illinois; in 1872 it appeared in Iowa, Missouri, Wiscon¬ 
sin, and parts of Illinois, Ohio, Kentucky and New York. The year 
1875 was one of still more general visitation; and lastly, we have 
to record its appearance in great numbers in New Jersey, Southern 
New York and Connecticut, in 1880. 
I have made some examination in reference to the notices of its 
appearance in Illinois previous to 1861, and, although many old 
settlers have a distinct recollection of seeing large armies of the 
worms once or twice, and of extensive injury done by them to crops, 
yet I find the dates as given wholly unreliable. I recollect that in 
1861, when they appeared in such vast numbers, that the older 
farmers were then fully aware of the advantage of ditching against 
them, and spoke of having previously adopted the same plan; but 
my recollection is, that it was then generally understood that 1844 
had been the previous year in which they appeared in the greatest 
number. It will only be safe, therefore, to set down 1861, 1869, 
1872 and 1875 as Army-worm years in the Northwest. 
NATURAL HISTORY AND DESCRIPTION. 
Notwithstanding all that has been written in reference to this 
species, we cannot yet claim, as heretofore remarked, and as will 
be seen by what is hereafter stated, that its entire life history is 
absolutely known. In fact, the few discoveries made since 1861 have 
only served to prove the correctness in great part of the conclusions 
I then formed, which are given in the quotation below from my 
article in the Prairie Farmer of June 20, 1861. It has been as¬ 
serted again and again, that up to 1861 our knowledge of the Army- 
worm remained a blank; that is to say, no one had traced it into 
