THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST 15 



portion, and the copper beech portion above having only here and 

 there the smallest possible speck on it." 



The "copper beech" is probably the purple beech (Fagus 

 alro purpurea). Fagus sylvatica is the common European beech 

 and the specimen from Nova Scotia is doubtless from the American 

 beech (Fagus grandifolia Ehrh.), an entirely new food plant for it. 

 If this is the case and it acts like many of our foreign neighbors 

 when they land on our shores, we may have a serious problem on 

 our hands unless prompt measures are taken for its extermination. 



From Mr. Vair's report of the conditions in the woods around 

 Halifax, it would appear that this new pest is taking kindly to its 

 new food and new climate. If it once becomes thoroughly estab- 

 lished in our beech woods and thrives as it promises to do, it is im- 

 possible to foresee the damage that it may cause. 



NOTE ON THE OCCURRENCE OF THE FELTED BEECH 



COCCUS CRYPTOCOCCUS FAGI (BAERENS) 



DOUGL. IN NOVA SCOTIA. 



The opportunity which has been afforded me of reading Mr. 

 R. W. Braucher's article on the occurrence of .Cry ptocpecus fagi near 

 Halifax, N.S., enables me to. correct the impression it might convey 

 that this insect had not been previously found in North America 



In August, 1911, specimens of the Felted Beech Coccus C.fagi 

 Baerens were sent to me by Mr. Justice Meagher, of Bedford, N.S., 

 which is near Halifax, and as a result of a careful inquiry, which was 

 immediately made, we found that this Coccid was present on both 

 ornamental and forest beeches in the neighbourhood of Halifax.. 

 where it had apparently existed for a number of years. Mr. R. 

 Power, Superintendent of the Public Gardens, Halifax, sent speci- 

 mens ot C. fagi, taken from the European Beech (Fagus sylvatica 

 L.) in the Halifax Public Gardens in September, 1911, and he in- 

 formed me that he had known it for the last twenty years, and that 

 he kept it in check on the purple variety, but did not spray the 

 common variety. 



While it is possible that the Coccid may have been introduced 

 into Canada a number of years ago on ornamental beeches from 

 England, to which opinion I am inclined, its occcurrerice in Nova 

 Scotia and possibly New England does not necessarily imply intro- 

 duction. We may be a little too apt on the discovery in the New 



