1 84 



NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



Fig. iG. — Lina scripta; «, usual markings; b, i 

 d, e, variations. (After Riley, in Rept. Commis 

 Agricul. for 1S84.) 



TAe beetle. — "The beetles are oval, more flattened than the Chrysome- 

 lids usually, and vary in length from two-tenths to three-tenths of an inch. 



The head is black. The thorax 

 is mainly black centrally, with 

 its outer sides bordered with red. 

 The wing-covers are dull yel- 

 lowish, with about seven black 

 spots and lines, and the inner 

 margins joining over the back, 



also black, and the body beneath blue-black. 



Successive broods. — " The injurious character of the beetle is intensified 

 by there being two or three broods of it each year. The brood now 

 present with you is from eggs that were laid on the willows early in the 

 season. Under favoring conditions for multiplication, the subsequent 

 broods will be more numerous and of course more destructive. 



Remedy. — " It is fortunate for your willow-growers that we have a com- 

 paratively simple remedy for this new willow pest, otherwise the industry 

 so important to your people might be seriously impaired. A thorough 

 spraying of the willows with Paris green in water should kill all the in- 

 sects in their larval and perfect stages that feed upon the leaves." 



Directions for prepariiig and using the spraying mixture, and informa- 

 tion of pumps available for the purpose, accompanied the above. 



The Insect's Destructiveness at Liverpool. 



In some correspondence following, a partial success was reported to 

 me as the result of the spraying recommended. The increase of the in- 

 sect could not be kept down, and consequently in several instances, entire 

 fields of willows had been destroyed, and plowed up. Some other sugges- 

 tions were made by me, and were, I beUeve, faithfully tried. Early 

 in May of the present year, I was notified that the ravages of the in- 

 sect had commenced — that it was spreading more numerously and 

 seriously than before — that the willow-growers were discouraged, and 

 would be compelled to abandon the culture unless the insect could be 

 controlled. My presence was requested, but I was prevented from 

 making the desired visit at the time, and it was necessarily deferred until 

 the month of August. Although then too late to see the active operations 

 of the insect, I was able to look over the ground thoroughly — to meet 

 and confer with the willow-growers and basket-makers— to learn from 

 them the extent and importance of the industry — its threatened destruc- 

 tion, and what was being done to avert the calamity. 



