There is no question but that the preferred food of this species is the foliage of plants of the genus Amarantus, called in different parts of the country Amaranth, Pig-weed and Careless weed (corrupted into "Kerless weed" or "Karless weed"). This was very noticeable in our observations of 1873, and its next preference seemed to be Purslane. Professor Snow also mentions Lamb's Quarter (also called "Pigweed" Chenopodium), as a favorite food-plant. Prof. C. E. Bessey, writing from Lincoln, Nebr., August nth, mentioned an unusual abundance of these larvae upon Amarantus retroflexus and A. blitoides. Another correspondent mentions finding them the present year upon the common Cockleburr (Xanthium strum-arium), but this was probably due to their excessive abundance and want of proper food. This also is probably the case with the common Burdock (Rumex), which is mentioned by another correspondent. Professor Popenoe (loc. cit.) mentions, among the weeds injured, Amarantus alba, Chenopodium album, Ambrosia trifida, Apocynum cannabinum, and Grindelia squarrosa.

He also mentions the fact that they injured a bed of scarlet verbenas.

The cultivated plants injured during the year, according to our own correspondents, are as follows : Corn, cotton, cabbage, cucumber, melon, squash, pumpkin, sweet potato, Irish potato, egg plant, tomato, beets, bean, pea, red clover, alsike, alfalfa, orchard-grass, timothy, meadow oat grass, millet, and apple-tree leaves.

Thus it appears to be able to feed on almost any plant commonly grown in truck gardens, and upon a variety of forage plants. No one has mentioned, in fact, any plant upon which it will not feed. Professor Snow, in the article just cited, gives the following food-plants additional to the above : Flax, tobacco, sugar-cane, castor beans, lettuce, and onions.

The species has been very generally referred to as the " Web-worm," but as this is a very comprehensive term, we have called it the "Garden Web-worm," as a means of distinguishing it from the many other Web-worms, most of which, however, occur on shrubs and trees.