46 
the effects of some disease, while they are yet in the larva state—a 
remarkable and rare phenomenon for insects thus in such a whole¬ 
sale manner to be dying without attaining their maturity, and no 
insect enemy or other efficient cause to be observed capable of pro¬ 
ducing this important result. 
July ‘22.—On the low grounds the young chinch-bugs are all dead 
from the disease above alluded to, and the same disease is spread¬ 
ing rapidly on the hills and high prairies. 
July 28.—In the fields where sixty days ago I saw plenty of eggs, 
and forty-two days ago an abundance of young chinch-bugs, the 
imagos are beginning to develop quite plentifully. Great numbers, 
in all stages of their development, are dying of the prevailing 
disease. 
Aug. 8.—The majority of the chinch-bugs yet alive are in the 
imago state, but they are being rapidly destroyed by the prevailing 
epidemic disease, more fatal to them than the plague or Asiatic 
cholera ever was to man. Scarcely one in a thousand of the vast 
hosts of young bugs observed at the middle of June yet remain 
alive, but plenty of dead ones may be seen everywhere, lying on 
the ground, covered with the common mold of decomposing animal 
matter, and nothing else, even when examined by the microscope. 
Even of those that migrated to corn-fields a few weeks ago, in such 
numbers as to cover the lower half of the corn stalks, very few are 
to be found remaining alive; but the ground around the base of 
the corn hills is almost literally covered with their mouldering, de¬ 
composing dead bodies. This is a matter so common as to be ob¬ 
served and often spoken of by farmers. They are dead everywhere, 
not lying on the ground alone, but sticking to the blades and stalks 
of corn in great numbers, in all stages of their development, larva, 
pupa and imago. 
Sept. 18.—After a whole day’s searching in the corn-fields, I have 
just been able to find two larvae and a few imago ,chinch-bugs, 
against the great numbers alluded to in the corn about this time 
last year. 
This disease among the chinch-bugs was associated with the long 
continued, wet, cloudy, cool weather that prevailed during a greater 
portion of the period of their development. The disease was at its 
maximum during the moist, warm weather that followed the cold 
rains of June and the first part of July. During the summer of 
3866, the chinch-bugs were very scarce in all the early spring, and 
up to near harvest I was not able, with the most diligent search, 
to find one. At harvest I did succeed in finding a few in some 
localities.” 
On page 234 of the same volume he further says: “The chinch- 
bug has entirely disappeared from this region, so far as I have 
been able to observe. I have made diligent search since spring, 
with the object of obtaining a few living specimens, but up to this 
time have not succeeded in finding a single specimen. I am con¬ 
vinced that the efficient cause of their destruction exists in the con¬ 
tinuation of the epidemic among them. Their overthrow is a cause 
of great rejoicing among the farmers, and once more, as of yore, 
thev have realized a bountiful wheat harvest. I have but one thing 
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