5 i I P'; I l i '
i' 440 Bulletin N0. 137
‘ E I r ,
‘ _ yl tory and parasitic enemies pursuing them was even less. Yet I it
y   y so great was the number of Worms present in localities that ‘
_   some succeeded in escaping and- will doubtless appear again `
~ . J   next spring. The facts with reference to the parasites are in- `
‘ _ I _ , teresting as explaining why the army—worm is not permanently
` ` - destructive to crops, and as yet have little other value to the
' · , practical man. `
" CROPS ATTACKED BY ARMY-WORMS.
. y · A marked preference of the worms for timothy was observed
~ V i   ~,'i _ in 1908, and wherever this forage plant was growing among
_ , . i _ , other plants it was attacked in a way to denote that the worms
` it   ~ chose it whenever it was available in preference to most others. ·
I ` · The young worms in the Inseetary showed a decided fondness _{
y , for young and tender crabgrass (Syvtlherisnia smzguinale), and li
appeared to eat this in preference to bluegrass, or even timothy, V
V ` though they would perhaps have eaten these grasses more freely ;
- I if they had been more tender. lllhen the worms became ,·
larger they took the timothy greedily, and spread from it to
I ,2 bluegrass, corn, rye, barley, millet, English bluegrass, reed  
· canary grass, while, as noted, the clovers suffered to some ex- _}
4 A tent, though they appeared never to harbor the worms at the
, outset, and it appears doubtful if the adults place their eggs
I about these plants. Of the small grains not noted above, oats
and wheat are known to be injured severely at times. Sorghum I
among the larger forage plants is sometimes damaged.  
1 LOCALITIES IN WHICH THE WORMS GATHER HEAD.  
y · While the marching worms may be encountered on high or ,
low ground, they may generally be found lurking in neglected .
grassland or even weedy ground in low places. Bluegrass, i
English bluegrass, timothy, weeds, in short, almost any rank l
growths of these or related plants in low situations, not dis- I
turbed by man or stock, are liable to become infested. They l
multiply in such places each year, and can always be found   ·
in June and July hidden away about the bases of the plants, l
living the life of cutworms. Since they feed at such times
chiefly at night, they remain unknown to the owners of land