REPORT OF STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 197 



nest. It looks rather serious when there is not room enough 

 on the tree for the nests without doing up on the apples. 



Many specimens of apple borers, Plaginotus speciosus, were 

 sent in for identification from different sections. These are 

 reported as doing lots of damage to the city shade trees. 



The so-called "Silver Scale," Lepisma saccharinia was 

 reported as feeding on some lace curtains. This pest is fre- 

 quently seen in the evening around the pantry and other places. 

 It is a long, flat, silvery, quick moving insect, more annoying 

 than injurious. 



On March 26 a sample of Vetch, Vicia caroliniana was sent 

 in with the statement that a horse that had eaten a quantity of 

 it in some hay had broken out with boils. The specinen was 

 sent to the State Laboratory of Hygiene for analysis. The 

 report was that no poisonous qualities could be found. 



"pine bught." 



The condition of the so-called "pine blight" is much the same 

 as reported last year. 



We fail to see in the majority of cases how it could result 

 from a fungous disease, although there were evidently in some 

 sections conditions that led many to form that opinion. 



We have been called to investigate the conditions in several 

 widely separate sections. In each case new growth had started 

 just back of the "blighted tips," a sure sign that no disease was 

 present. A number of pine insects were found at work on the 

 young branches. The pine louse was found very abundant in 

 several sections. 



The so-called "Spittle Insect," the pine leaf-hopper 

 Aphrophora saratogensis, was found and also reported from 

 many places. Several other insects that feed on the pine were 

 received at the office. 



THE TARNISHED PLANT-BUG. 



{Lygus pratensis, Linn.) 



This little insect is fast becoming one of the worst insect pests 

 we have. 



A short description may not be out of place. 



It belongs with the true bugs in the family Capsidas, the flower- 

 bug family, of which there are a great many different species in 



