REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGIST AXD BOTANIST 191 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



strong poison before the flowers open, .ind again in September, as the eggs of the second 

 brood are laid in August and the caterpillars feed through the autumn months, giving 

 moths the following spring, if our form behaves in the same way as the species is said to 

 do in England. 



The other caterpillars received were cutworms, the species being Scopelosoma tri- 

 stigmnta, Grt. These caterpillars appeared in the strawberry beds nearly a month later 

 than the above; though they were not nearly so abundant, they did some injury, and the 

 occurrence is worthy of record. When mature, this catei-pillar is nearly an inch and a 

 half in length, and in general appearance is a smooth, cylindrical noctuid larva, in 

 colour a vehety seal brown, shading to a crimson brown beneath, the centre of the venter 

 being greenish. The head is dark reddish brown, with the exception of a broad upper 

 margin of pale brown across the top, and reacliing down the sides of the face to the 

 ocelli. There are inconspicuous dorsal and lateral stripes, paler in colour than the 

 dorsum, also a pale substigmatal band. Under the lens the whole skin above this band is 

 seen to be covered with streaks and blotches of a darker brown than the skin. The 

 thoracic shield is darker than the body and rather conspicuous, The anal shield is 

 yellowish brown. The thoracic feet are shiny dark brown, and the prologs are conco- 

 lorous with the venter. The caterpillars entered the earth for pupation on June 23, 

 and the moths appeared on September 17. In British Columbia this caterpillar has 

 been found at Kaslo, by Mr. J. W. Cockle, feeding on wild raspberry. The usual remedies 

 for cutworms may be applied if this species should again prove troublesome. Probably 

 the most convenient in strawberry beds would be the poisoned bran mash. 



THE ^I^I^nY. 



The apiary, as in the past, has been under the sole management of ISIr. Jolm 

 Fixter, whose report I append herewith. The season, on the whole, has not been a 

 remunerative one for bee-keepers in most parts of Canada, although good yields are 

 reported in some sections. In the Experimental Farm apiary the honey crop was fairly 

 good and of excellent quality. The same experiments which have been carried on in 

 the past, have most of them been repeated again during 1902, owing to the extreme 

 interest which was evinced in them by visitors to the Central Experimental Farm. 

 Experiments to prove that bees do not injure unbroken fruit were again carried out and 

 with like results to those obtained last year, xiz., that no injury is done by these useful 

 insects. 



During the past four years attractive exhibits of honey, mostly extracted and put 

 up in neat glass jars, have been sent to various exhibitions. These have all been pre- 

 pared by Mr. Fixter, and I learn from the commissioners of the diiferent exhibitions 

 that these exhibits drew much attention. The following exhibits were prepared : For 

 Omaha, Nebraska, in 1898 ; for Paris, France, in 1900 ; for Glasgow, Scotland, in 1901 ; 

 for BuiTalo, United States, in 1901 ; for Wolverhampton, England, in 1902 ; for Cork, 

 Ireland, in 1902 ; for Osaka, Japan, in 1903. Exhibits have also been prepared for the 

 Ottawa annual exhibitions for some years past. 



Mr. Fixter attended the annual meeting of the Ontario Bee-keepers' Association at 

 Woodstock, Ont., and took an active part in the proceedings. He has also done good 

 educational work in explaining the habits of bees and the way to care for them to large 

 numbers of visitors who have come to the Experimental Farm during the past summer. 

 He has, besides, delivered addresses upon bee-keeping to farmers and public school 

 teachers and scholars when excursions have been held to the Experimental Farm, 



