SU THE BEPUIIT OF THE No. 36 



was jDiesent for some time previous to that date, and that it was not so abundant 

 some years as in others. 



The first authentic record of an outbreak is given by Koeble, who states, 

 C'U. S. Div. Ent. Bull.,' 23, p. 43) that this insect was found very abundant 

 on Crataegus, alder, hazel and other trees in Washington in 1890. The same 

 outbreak is recorded two years later, in the Third ' Annual Eeport of the Horti- 

 cultural Society of British Columbia,' where it is stated (pp. 83-84) that "' in 

 some old orchards the foliage was entirely devoured." i^lso in the Third ' Eeport 

 of the B. C. Department of Agriculture,' j). 1840, Mr. Wiltshire writes, " last 

 year there were billions of these creatures and they completely stripped 

 the crab-apple trees. This is the first year we have found them in the 

 orchards.'"' Dyar gives a full description of the insect in 'Psyche,'- 6, 1892, stating 

 that it was abundant in the valley of Columbia, and that in Portland, Oregon, 

 many trees were defoliated by the larva?. In 1894, Washburn, {' Oreg. Exp. Sta. 

 Bull.,' 33, p. 16) records it as very abundant in Oregon, and the same year it 

 was also reported as causing serious damage in many sections of British Columbia. 

 From the foregoing notes we see that this outbreak was quite general over the 

 Western Eegion and its ravages extended over a period of about five or six years. 



Two years later, its presence was again reported in British Columbia, and 

 the infestation had become very severe in 1898. In his ' Annual Eeport ' for that 

 year, Fletcher reports " countless thousands " of them, especially around Victoria 

 and Agassiz, and, that many of the larvae were parasitized and diseased. The 

 following year only a few caterpillars were seen. 



The. history of the next outbreak is given by Tom Wilson in the ' Proceedings 

 of the B. C. Entomological Society,' 1914, p. 37. He notes a slight infestation 

 'in 1907. The following year, a severe outbreak occurred from Washington and 

 the United States boundary northward. In 1909 the infestation was doubled, 

 and during the next two years enormous damage was done by the caterpillars. 

 In 1912 the ©utbreak subsided and the following year they had nearly all dis- 

 appeared. This outbreak thus seems to have extended over the whole of the 

 Western Eegion, and its ravages greatly exceeded any previously recorded. 



In 1915, the insfect again began to attract attention in British Columbia, 

 and this summer quite extensive ravages were reported on Vancouver Island. 

 This infestation probably marks the beginning of another outbreak throughout 

 the Western Eegion. 



Fall Webw^okm. 



Easiern Region. 



Like the preceding insect, the Fall Webworm seems to have been originally 

 a native of the Eastern Eegion. The first record we have of this species is that 

 of Drury,^ who described it from specimens collected in the vicinity of New York 

 about the year 1770. 



Twenty-seven years later, we find it described by Sir J. E. Smith, in his 

 ' Lepidopterous Insects of Georgia,' as a native of Virginia and a very des- 

 tructive pest. 



In 1828, it was again described by Harris in the New England Farmer, 

 Aug. 22nd, pp. 33-34, and six years later, he included it in his ' Catalogue of the 

 Insects of Massachusetts,' No. 591. 



^Drury. 111. Nat. Hist., 1, p. 36, pi. 18 fig. 4, 1770. 

 Drury. Illustrations of Exotic Entomology, 1773. 



