1905 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 15 



while its larvae devoured the eggs in the cottony masses. The parasites be- 

 came more and more abundant as the season went on, and he had every con- 

 fidence that there would be little or no trouble from this insect at Plainfield 

 next year. His count of scales was similar, having found from 500 to 800 on 

 a single leaf. Insecticides of various kinds had been tried, but he could find 

 nothing that would kill the insects and not injure the foliage. He had, there- 

 fore, resorted to water from the city mains, and found that with a hose the 

 eggs could be washed off the trees if applied when the cottony masses are 

 opening early in May. This is a simple, easy and inexpensive remedy, and 

 one that is ready at hand for every one who has a lawn and hose for watering 

 it. If the scales are higher up than their usual position on the lower branches 

 they can usually be reached with the assistance of a step-ladder. 



Mr. C. W. Nash spoke of the damage done to asters and dahlias by the 

 Tarnished Plant-bug {Lygus irratensis) and the trouble it gave to florists in 

 Toronto ; dusting with Pyrethrum insect powder was recommended as a rem- 

 edy. He also referred to the prevalence of Hydroecias {Gortynd) this year; 

 He had found them boring into the roots and stalks of rhubarb, dahlias, Rud- 

 beckia, burdock and in fact all' plants that were capable of holding them; two 

 species, Gortyna nitela and cataphracta, were especially abundant. 



Dr. Fletcher drew attention to the good work being done by Mr. H. H. 

 Lyman and other entomologists in Montreal in breeding and tracing out the 

 life-histories of these moths. G. nitela was of use, as it destroys large num- 

 bers of Canada thistles and rag-weed. 



THE "TUSSOCKS." 



By The Rev. Thomas W. Fyles, D.C.L., F.L.S. 



The common application "Tussock Moths," as applied to the perfect 

 insects of the species Orgyia antiqna, Linneus, and Orgyia leucostigma, 

 Smith and Abbot, (Fig. 7), is a misnomer. It is to the caterpillars of these 

 species that the name "Tussock" is properly applied — they are conspicu- 

 ously tussocJcy, or tufted, along the back, (Fig. 4). The generic name 

 Notolophus given to these insects by Germar signifies this : — Notos — the 

 back; Lophos — a crest. The male perfect insects of the two kinds have 

 been very appropriately called "Yapourers," because of their airy and un- 

 certain flight. They are known respectively as the "Brown Vapourer" 

 and the "Grey Vapourer." The females of both species are incapable of 

 flight, having only rudimentary wings. 



The Greek generic name Orgyia was probably given because of the out- 

 stretched black pencils extending like arms from the shoulders of the larva. 

 The feminine specific name, antiqua, from the Latin, appropriately denotes 

 the grey and hunched form of the female moth. Linneus was often fanci- 

 ful in his application of names ! 



The term leuco.ttigma was given by Smith and Abbot to the Grey Va- 

 pourer on account of its white spots, (Fig. 3e) ; though the spots on Antiqua 

 are more conspicuous than they, because of their darker setting. 



The genus Orgyia belongs to the family Liparidcs which, in England, 

 includes some very handsome, and also some very troublesome species. 

 Psilura Tnonacha, the "Black Arches," is a remarkably beautiful moth. 

 Porthetria dispar, the "Gypsy Moth," is handsome, but its larvae are de- 

 structive; whilst the larvae of Europroctis chrysorrhoea, the "Brown-Moth" 



