New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-09-10
sEARCHIyG FOR TIE COTTON WORM.
UNSUCCESSFUL QUEST IN RAvENSwOOD

UNSUCCESSFUL UESI IN hAfENSNOOD.
A CATERPILLAR THAT Is NOT PARTICULAR AND
TAKES CHEERFULLY CHANGE OF DIET.
Among the various branches of the Bureau of
Agriculture is the Department OF Entomology, at
the head of which is Professor Riley who was
formerly State EntomoloRst OF Missouri, and who
gained much reputation by vigorous ana decisive
campaign against the cuTculIO that was DESTROYING
the plum orchards of that State. lie also proved
that the phylloxera vastatrlx was the larva OF "a
iy indigenous 10 Missouri. lie has recently been
deyoing his energies to some method OF extlrpat-
ing the cotton worm, the caterpillar OF the Alesia
Argillacg. AS II FIRST of all necessary to ascer-
tam its habits and to fix ts probable home or chief
centre of distributions he engaged the services OF a
Young German entOmoOgist, Albert Rochelle, who
went to Bahia in Brazil, and other places IN South
America and found the Alesla happy and con-
ten ed cruncher of the wild cotton tree of those
regions. He followed him nOrthward and discovered
him still contented and cheerful over the cotton
bushes and he found hlm at length on the herba-
ceons cotton plants of the Southern States the un,
questioned king of cotton But Professor Riley had
heard strange and terrible rumors about the Alesla
Ii was told among ntOmOOglsts that those ruhless
innovations aud IconOcasts. Mr.. Elliott and Harry
Edwards of New-Yurk had discovered the Alesla
IN the vicinity of New-Iork City cheeruly crunch
ing the leaves of the rose mailow, which grows IN
all swampy land both here and IN New-Jers9Y, ana
especially in salt swamps. The large PINK nowers.
fully SIX inches across the petals ana the ousn-kc
plant are conspicuous objects in he great swamp
bet ween Newark and Jersey City. Now this rose
mallow hibiscus pdlusris, Il sort OF rst cOnsIn
of the g0ssypan or cotton plant b0th tracing their
from Canada that this most cOntentcd and cheerful
Of caterpilaTs FEEDING on the garden hibiscus.
called without much prOprIery the Rose OF sharon.
1his alarming news rs tenIiuB. 10 SNOW 'u1
adaptabilIty aud resources OF the foe that he had
determined to extIrpdte. or AT least to check ma
terialtv, was received with anything hu pleasure
by Professor RI.eyy who wrote to Mr.. Elliott n let
ter IN when ne said: 81 have sdcn confidence IN
your experience that do not doubt the accuracy of
your observations and hope they Will ne verified
by Mr.. KOrbrlc. through whom srnd TINS Dilci
note" Accordingly when the German entomolo-
cist arrived Mr.. Elliott and he set OF for the great
Rayenswood swamp IN Astoria, TO which that
charming region owes It's reputation Oi unncalhl-
ness and malaria. Mr.. Elliott considered the eIpe-
dtion premature and dOubted If the Alcsia could
be found until the end OF the present month. Ills
fears were verified. The party entered the swamp
which II now dry. aud is delightful wilderness OF
grasses rank and green and shrubs and TALL plants
and thckets Of low bushes. There were WIDE
stretches Of high golOcu-rods and eXpanses of small
suuowcs. dull red patches OF eupaiorl, blue spots
of cornhowers, aud in widely distant places
the great thick flowers of tne hibiscus.
around whose stems the yellow mlmeuf
twined caressnglv. Butterflies of many kinds
hutt,red a1out from clump T. clump chiefly pretty
irl1llarrA, though Their were not a few specimens
of the large Danaus From hibiscus TO hibiscus the
men wandered. beating the cOyerts systematically
for the Alesia. Z" Too early" said Mr.. Elliott
Pehabs deere are none dis year. suggested the
German entomOioglst. After three hours piunglng
and changed their base OF operations 70 Mrs.
Woolseys grounds in Astoria. the paradise of New
York entOnoogisis. nc result ~ present - Doubt
tut. Professor Rev seems 10 wish 10 deprive New
Workers Of le cotton worm. Mr. tluOtt stands up
for tue honor of the Empire City and will not low
II to b. robbed OF lts reputation for csias. Tho
search will be continued until The enylrOnS are ex-
naustrd Much confidence u felt by local en-, Omol-
Oglsls III the Newark swamp coVertS. ana IL -
thought that the game Will be flushed there If not
ia el. " ..pTn