THE CULTIVATOR. 
89 
with their species and their habits, he is qualified to guard against their 
depredations. We gave in our last some interesting facts in regard to the 
Cut-worm, from J. E. Muse, which we copied from Ihe Farmers’ Re¬ 
gister. We now give, from the same pen, a description of the Cm cu- 
lw, a large family of insects, which destroy our fruits, and prey upon 
our crops, with suggestions for preventing their ravages. 
Another insect, the “ evren/io of which there are nearly one hundred 
species, belonging also to the coleopterous order, commands, from its uni¬ 
versal ravages, upon both the farmer and the fruiterer, the attention of 
every member of the community, who has it in his power to contribute, 
in the smallest measure, to the destruction of this ruthless foe to the wealth 
and luxuiy of man; which frustrates, by its concealed and wily move¬ 
ments, the most rational and well founded plans, executed by the most 
ardent and efficient energies of the human mind and body. Are we not 
irfclined to exclaim, with the moral and philosophical Seneca, “ JVatura 
quant te co/imus incenti quoque How repugnant to the proud feelings 
of man, to stoop to combat with this insignificant animalcule? How re¬ 
sistless are the ordinances of nature, which compel us, by acts so humili¬ 
ating, to admire and adore that complex creation, whereby the great archi¬ 
tect has seen fit to enforce them! 
I have made experiments on the larva of several species of curculiones, 
and have found the parents so nearly similar in habitat, metamorphoses, 
and most other circumstances, that one description will suffice for their 
whole history; at least of those which I have examined; and the only mark 
of idiocracy in the tribes which I have observed, consist in their choice of 
a nidus ; selecting, from their peculiarities in this respect alone, the cherr 
ry, the plum or the grain of corn, as their instinctive or innate propensi¬ 
ties might incline them. 
In a transparent bottle containing some earth, I deposited several cher¬ 
ries, in which were the larva of the curculi", that inf st that fruit; in a 
few weeks, or rathevas soon as the pulp of the fruit was consumed, which 
was at different periods, they retreated into the earth, where upon exami¬ 
nation some time after, I found they had assumed the state of chrysalis, 
which shortly resulted in that of the imago or parent; the wings of the in¬ 
sects were not sufficient to accomplish a flight, but merely to assist its as¬ 
cent of the body of a tree; from which circumstances, I was led to the 
following reflections and experiments to test their correctness: 
That the remedy must be such as would act, physically, to wit—to in¬ 
terrupt the metamorphoses, by preventing the descent of the larva into 
the earth; to expose to the weather, the pupa, after its descent; or to in¬ 
tercept in its ascent of the body of the tree, the parent insect; or chemi¬ 
cally—by substances, known to be generally deleterious to that class of 
animals. 
The fruit being the nitlus of the ovum, and the earth the habitat, in 
which it is brought to maturity and makes its abode, and the larva, from 
its soft and delicate structure, incapable of travelling, or sustaining expo¬ 
sure; when the fruit containing the larva has fallen and is rotted and con¬ 
sumed by the insect, the larva must descend, by the most direct route 
from its original depository, the fruit, into the earth, its permanent abode, 
there to undergo the metamorphoses, which will bring it to maturity, and 
fit it for a new series of depredations, which is so secretly performed, that 
though myriads are employed, they are never detected in executing their 
work of destruction, the deposite of their ova. Hence I concluded, that 
one of the most effectual pieventives, would be paving with brick, stone, 
shells, or some other hard substance, impervious to the soft larva. a cir¬ 
cular space round the fruit tree, as extensive as the fall of ihe fiuit; by 
which it would be interrupted in itsdescent in the earth, and consequent¬ 
ly perish; or that it might be accomplished, by turning up the earth under 
the tree to the same extent, and thereby exposing to the inclemency of 
the weather, the tender pupa, of which two methods, the former is to be 
preferred; because thereby you arrest the passage of the larva to maturi¬ 
ty, and necesssarily destroy it. The latter method, if not performed in 
time, rnay allow the perfection of the imago, and in this state it is unques¬ 
tionably more hardy and capable of providing anotherhabitation, as secure 
and comfortable as that of its first election. And by the experiments 
which I have made, its descent and maturity are at uncertain and unequal 
periods, which would make an insuperable difficulty, in point of time, fin- 
performing the operation; if before the descent, it would necessarily be 
useless; if after the maturity, equally so, for reasons given. 
This view of the subject, has led me, repeatedly, to both experiments, 
which I have fairly and impartially made without the influence of any pre¬ 
judice, which it might be presumed, my reasoning had connected with, or 
in favor of the former; the result was, the fruit with which I made the ex¬ 
periment that had been destroyed by curculiones, for many years, were in 
all cases, when I paved or shelled, entirely exempt; in two cases only, 
when the earth under the tree was turned up, at different seasons, the 
fruit escaped injury, but from the number that failed, I was inclined to 
ascribe these two to causes accidental and extrinsic. 
The third method proposed, viz: to intercept the parent in its ascent of 
the body of the tree, by various obstacles which the rnind will readily sug¬ 
gest, and ihereby prevent its deposite of ova, though I have made no ex¬ 
periments upon it, I conceive to be rational, and easily accomplished, and 
with those species of curculiones, of which there are many, whose wings 
do not admit of flight, but assist them only in climbing, it would undoubt¬ 
edly be effected. 
The fourfh remedy which I propose, of a chemical nature, I have made 
but partial experiments to establish, such as are not yet satisfactory or con¬ 
clusive; when finished, it will give rne pleasure to report them, it the re¬ 
sult be successful, by a fair and candid detail of facts. 
I fear. I have already trespassed on your patience, and will venture 
merely to notice the parent of a ingular larva, which some years ago, ve¬ 
ry generally, throughout the state, as you no doubt remember, threatened 
to exterminate the whole vegetable creation, as faras it travelled; in whole 
districts, not a solitary blade of wheat, oats, or rye, nor a remnant escaped 
its voracious appetite, and the grass was swept, in this march, as if by a 
scorching fire. So formidable were the destructive multitudes, that fosses, 
abbatis, and parapets were constructed, to repel their advances, and the 
ditches w’ere filled with their dead bodies. I deposited in bottles, with 
earth, several of these larva; they shortly went into chrysalis, and came 
out a fly of the lepidopterous order, precisely like the candle-fly, in all re¬ 
spects. This resull, I report, because numerous as they were, and as 
much alarm as they occasioned, I have neverseen anotice of asimilarex¬ 
periment; and it may, in case of a return of these hosts of enemies, afford 
a clew to their destruction. We at (east are not averse to know some¬ 
thing of an enemy, which has, and may again assail us with more disas¬ 
trous ravages. 
If, sir, the present communication shall have the effect of inciting to in¬ 
quiry, on these interesting subjects, the enterprising and intelligent farm¬ 
er—if the plan of research which I have ventured to suggest, shall afford 
him any assistance—if I have added one ray of light, whereby more may 
be obtained—my purpose is answered, and my most sanguine expectations 
fulfilled. 
I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servent, 
_JOS. E. MUSE. 
[From the Farmers' Cabinet .] 
THE GENERAL HABITS OF INSECTS. 
It is a singular circumstance in the history of the insect race, that they 
are destined, during the transient period of their existence, to appear un¬ 
der three very different fonms, viz; the larva, or caterpillar; the chrysa¬ 
lis, nymph or pupa, and the perfect insect. A knowledge of these seve¬ 
ral stages, or forms of insect life,. is indispensable to an understanding of 
their history. 
The silk-worm affords a familiar instance of those great events which 
characterize the lives of most insects. The egg, now lying in my drawer, 
when the proper season arrives, will produce a larva, or caterpillar. Af¬ 
ter feeding for a few weeks, this worm will have completed its first period 
of existence, and must prepare for the coming change. Having lound a 
convenient corner, it first spins itself up in a ball, or cocoon of silk.— 
When its domicil is finished, it soon changes to a pupa. The caterpillar, 
hitherto three inches long, strips off its skin, contracts into an oval form, 
about one-third of its former dimensions; the surface is now white, smooth 
and soft, presenting very feeble traces of the included insect. The out¬ 
side soon changes to a yellowish brown color, becomes more dry and re¬ 
sisting, and the surface is now figured with elevated lines, which mark 
the situation of the body and limbs of the more perfect animal, which is 
soon to be produced. In a word, the chrysalis or pupa is completely 
formed. The pupa state continues from two to three weeks, when the 
perfect insect bursts the flimsy envelope, which had bound it, opens a 
passage through its silken tenement, and appears a perfect winged insect, 
or moth. In this state it does not eat. It moves only in quest of its mate 
The only passion it feels, the only care it exercises, is, to provide itself 
with a successor—and, having done so, it dies. 
The changes which I have described, are called the metamorphosis or 
transformation of instets. All insects, however, do not undergo these 
changes. Some of the iqing/rss species retain through life, the form in 
which they issue from the egg. These are comparatively few in number. 
Others are hatched with all the parts of a perfect animal, except the wings. 
The pupa is distinguished from the larva, by mere rudiments of wings; 
and these become fully developed in the more perfect stale. Example: 
gras-hoppers, locusts, &c. Insects of this sort are said to undergo a 
demi-metamoiphosis, or half transformation. 
I will close t .is essay with a few remarks on the different stages of in¬ 
sect life. 
LARVA OF INSECTS. 
As comparatively few insects feed their young, or even lay up food 
for their sustenance, they are instinctively led to deposit their eggs 
in situations where the young animals will most easily procure food suit¬ 
ed to their natuie. The same instinctive care leads them to seek places 
where the eggs will be protected against the destructive contingencies of 
the changing seasons. Thus insects whose larva feed on particular 
plants, generally select those plants as a deposit for their eggs. If the 
eggs are intended to hatch the present season, they are generally placed 
out he leaves of the piant. Example: the stinking bug which inhabits 
