REPORT OF THE EXTOMOLOGIST AXD BOTAMST 225 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



infestation; and overyboJy is urged to send in as soon as possible any suspicious nests 

 of insects, or clusters of leaves webbed together, particularly if they contain cater- 

 pillars, whenever any are noticed on their trees. 



The collection of the winter nests is the best and easiest means of controlling this 

 ipsect. 



The collection of theSx'^ nests must be done carefully, with as little handling as 

 possible, and all should be burnt at once when cut from the trees. 



This work must be done before the buds burst. 



Any trees bearing nests of the Brown-tail Moth, after the 1 -ds have opened, must 

 be sprayed with some poisonous mixture for the destruction of the caterpillars. 



The establishment of the Brown-tail Moth in Canada is a serious matter, affect- 

 ing everybody in the district where the insects occur. 



What is now only a matter of considerable interest, may, if neglected, become a 

 public calamity. 



Siiecimens for examination may be sent to the Entomologist, Central Experi- 

 mental Farm, Ottawa. If so addressed, no postage will be required. 



James Fletcher. 



Since the appearance cf this article a vigorous campaign has been inaugurated by 

 the officers of the Agricultural College, several members of the Fruit Growers' 

 Association of Nova Scotia, school teaohers and others. As a consequence, the fruit- 

 growing districts of the province of Nova Scotia have been pretty thoroughly ex- 

 amined. Prof. Gumming writes that, as soon as he learnt of the occurrence of the 

 Brown-tail ]\roth in Nova Scotia, he telegraphed to various places and arranged meet- 

 ings where Prof. Sears and Prof. Smith, of the Agricultural College Staff, and ]\fr. 

 G. H. Vroom, Inspector for Nova Scotia of the Fruit Division of the Dominion 

 Dei)artment of Agriculture, could meet the people and learn all that was possible 

 about the spread of the insect. As a result of this personal method of spreading in- 

 formation, a great deal of good work has been done. Prof. Cumming thinks that 

 something like 2,000 nests of the larvae have been- destroyed. As each of these con- 

 tains from 200 to 300 caterpillars, it is easy to see how strongly established the insect 

 had become before it was detected. This was probably owing to the close resemblance 

 between the Brown-tail Moth and the moths of the much less destructive Fall W(>h- 

 worm, which would be flying about the same time. It is of course also possible that 

 some mistakes may have been made in identifying the caterpillars. This I found was 

 verj^ frequently the case on the part of some of my correspondents V\-ho sent specimens 

 to Ottawa. The cocoons of the two common Trssock ]\Ioths were most often sent in 

 with the inquiry as to whether they were the Brown-tail Moth nests or not. There 

 was no excuse for this mistake, because the two insects do not resemble each other 

 in any of their stapes; but a very natural mistake was made in confusing the larval 

 nests of the American Tent Caterpillars about the time that they iirst began to spin 

 their tents, with the winter larval tents of the Brown-tail Moth. By examining them 

 carefully, the diffei-enees can at once be noted; but to those who have nuide no special 

 study of insects, tliis confusion of the two species is easily accounted for. Unfortu- 

 nately, the discovery of the Brown-tail Moth in Nova Scotia was made so late in the 

 spring that there was little time for destroying the nests before the larvae began to 

 leave them and attack the foliage. This difficulty was to a large measure obviated 

 by the energetic measures adopted by Professors Cumming, Sears and Smith. Prof. 

 Cumming reports: 'We have had live men. going through the valley. As they have 

 gone west, they have found the insect more thickly distribute;l. The worst infested 

 district is at Doucetville near Weymouth, in Digbv county. Unfortunately, some of 

 the people there are backward in matters jiertaining to agriculture; but our own men 

 have destroyed all the nests they could find in that district, and last week the school 

 children were started at work through a bounty of 3 cents per nest offered by our 



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