tation that they had been sent him from Harristown by a 
% who reported that they were doing serious damage to the 
of his young corn. On the 22d of that month they were again 
le, by Mr. R. H. Mills, of Dwight, in Livingston county, with 
[lowing note: 
r corn is being badly damaged by small worms. I send you 
! lens of them, all of which were found in one hill. There are 
y not more than three or four in a hill. The corn is large 
a so that we are cultivating it. I shall be very glad if you 
ve me some information in regard to the worms. They are 
g bad work with the corn in our fields.” 
the 28d, Mr. D. C. Tomlinson, of Osco, Henry county, sent 
her specimens of the same species, from a field of corn on 
and timothy sod, which had been plowed up early in April, 
hole field had been so completely destroyed by this larva, in 
iction with two species of cutworms, as to necessitate replant- 
He found the new larvae (now three-eighths to seven-eighths of 
h long,) partly or wholly encased in a web within the ground. 
the 27th May, I visited Dwight for the purpose of searching 
gilds.of Mr. Mills from which the web worms had been sent 
The corn in this field was injured most in patches. Over one 
)f about one-fourth of an acre, many hills were missing, and 
one-third of those remaining were damaged, with a plant occa- 
ly killed. Upon digging into the affected hills, the caterpillars 
[found just beneath the surface, sometimes as many as five or 
; a hill, each in a retreat formed by loosely webbing together 
os of dirt irregularly cylindrical in shape, one and one-half to 
|nches long, and about one-half an inch in diameter. The 
was found in a silk-lined tube within this mass (the tube not 
Is perfectly constructed), which in some cases opened at the 
e, its presence being indicated by a circular opening about the 
f wheat straw, in the earth next a stalk of corn. 
% first attack upon the plant was made by gnawing the outer 
e beneath the ground and above the roots. Occasionally the 
was completely severed, as by a cutworm, but usually not, the 
showing rather a disposition to work upwards, eating a super¬ 
furrow or burrowing lengthwise along the center of the stem, 
oer parts of the field, only here and there a stalk was attacked, 
oliage was also frequently eaten, the lower leaf first and then 
; pper ones, the larva evidently leaving its burrow for this pur- 
The tips of the leaves were eaten off, or irregular elongate 
were eaten through them,—probably at night, as I have never 
,jhe larva abroad by day. Where the corn was largest, webbed 
)S of dirt were frequently found which contained no larvae, a 
/hich I was at first inclined to suppose indicated that the in- 
nhabiting them had transformed, especially as the larvae found 
of quite uniform size and apparently full grown. I failed to 
t, single pupa, however; and as our breeding experiments did 
field the insect for more than a month, it seems more likely 
these empty webs had been abandoned by worms which had 
in search of younger stalks. 
