116 THE REPORT OF THE No. 19 



Araneida. 



Among some insects broiiglit back from tlie Hudson Bay Slope in 1903 

 bv Mr. W. J. Wilson, of tbe Geological Survey, Ottawa, was a small collec- 

 tion of spiders. These bave recently been kindly named by Dr. Banks, 

 through Dr. Howard. Owing to the northern locality at which the speci- 

 mens were collected the list is given in full. 



Epeira silvatica, Em. Kabina Kagami River, Aug. 11. 



Epeira patagiata, Clerck. Mamamattawa River, June 21. 



Gnaphosa conspersa, Th. Nagagami River, June 15. 



Amaurohius hennetti, Blk. Nagagami R., June 6. 



Tetragnatha extensa, L. Little Current River, July 16. 



Lycosa pratensis, Emer. Kabina Kagami River, Aug. 11. 



Lycosa Jcochi, Keys. Kenogami River, July 2. 



Agrccca jn-atensis, Emer. Kabina Kagami River, Aug. 9. 



Agalena ncevia, Htz. Little Current River, July IT. 



INSECTS OF THE TEAR 1908 AT OTTAWA. 

 By Arthur Gibson, Central Experimental Farm, Ottav^a. 



The season of 1908, at Ottawa, has been a remarkable one, owing to 

 the long continued drought. The months of June, July, August and Sep- 

 tember were particularly dry, the rain fall from the end of May till the 

 beginning of October being only 6.80 inches. Vegetation consequently 

 suffered very severely, but insects were more plentiful than usual and some 

 serious outbreaks occurred. 



Early in the season Cankerworm larvae were abundant, their attacks 

 being specially noticed on basswood, beech and birch. These insects seem 

 to be on the increase again. The injury ceased about the 16th June, after 

 which date very few caterpillars were noticed. 



The American Tent Caterpillar, Malacosma americana, Fab., is also 

 on the increase. On May 16th the work of the young caterpillars was very 

 conspicuous on many trees near the city. On May 30th a large number of 

 the nests were noticed at Chelsea, Que., about 7 miles from Ottawa. At 

 that date some small wild cherry trees were almost stripped of their foliage. 



On the same date at Chelsea, I found a nest of caterpillars of Archips 

 fervidana on red oak. The nest was rather conspicuous, being several leaves 

 drawn together somewhat in the shape of a ball. The caterpillars were 

 all inside. This insect is better known in the United States where it has 

 been recorded as destructive to several kinds of oak. In the Ottawa distr'ct 

 it has never appeared commonly. When mature the caterpillar is nearly 

 an inch long, of a yellowish-green colour, with the head and thoracic shield 

 black. Moths from the above larvae emerged on July 20th. 



The Turnip Flea Beetle, PhyUotreta vittata, Fab. This small, very 

 active, shining, black beetle was very troublesome in many gardens. The 

 beetles did much harm to young turnips and were also very destructive to 

 the first sowing of radishes. Where Paris green and land plaster, or Paris 

 green and flour, were dusted on the plants, one pound of the former to 20 

 of the latter, the injury was soon stopped. 



Root Maggots were more abundant than in 1907. The flies of the 

 Radish Maggot were noticed flying around the young plants on May 16th. 

 About the middle of June many plants examined were seen to be infested. 



Unfortunately there is nothing new in the way of a remedy, that we 

 know of, for these very destructive insects. For radishes preparations con- 



