1900 1 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 39 



Dr. Fletcher, at the close, remarked that such a paper as this indicated the lines 

 uprn which the best work should be done. It had been prepared with the utmost care 

 and minute observations had been made at every stage of the insect's life. It was very 

 important that life histories should be worked up in thia way, as the imagoes alone are 

 not to be depended upon in the separation of species. Very little is known about some 

 of the commonest insects, and regarding others futher details are required to fill up the 

 blanks in our knowledge. Every Entomologist should try to rear at least one speciea 

 every year, and then a very great deal would be accomplished in the course of a compara- 

 tively short time. He then spoke of the mode of describing a larva, and explained Dr. 

 Dyar's plan of numbering the tubercles and thus simplifying very much the work ot 

 description. 



NOTES ON INSECTS OF THE YEAR 1900. 

 Division No. 2 — Bay of Quinte District. — By J. D. Evans, Trenton, Ont. 



During the past season the Forest Tent Caterpillar (Clisiocampa disstria) has done 

 much damage in certain districts but not to such an extent as last season. 



Grasshoppers caused some destruction to grain and pasture in some localities in the 

 northern portion of the County, but only over comparatively small areas. 



The pea weevil [Bruchus pisi) has come to be such a pest throughout Prince Edward 

 County, that the seedsmen are looking for other and more suitable localities, in one case 

 having transferred their operations in part to Lindsay. 



The larvae of Phtjtonomus punctatus were observed to be quite numerous in a clover 

 field at Lake on the Mountains, near Glenora, Prince Edward County, on the 24th of 

 May last. In very many cases the larvae were curled up and encircled the tip end of the 

 blades of grass, and apparently in a dying condition from either being parasitized or from 

 some disease. At the same time and in the same clover field a number of examples were 

 taken of Hylesinus tri/olii, Muell. also eleven specimens of. Phytonomus nigrirosiris, Fab. 



In July last unusual visitors appeared in a pear orchard owned by Mr. W. A. 

 Warner and sitaated about 2 or 3 miles to the north-west of the town of Trenton. This 

 orchard was about one acre in extent, in the midst of an extensive apple orchard, and had a 

 few plum trees interspersed through it. About the third week of the month all the pear 

 trees had their lower limbs swarming with small green caterpillars, there was no web nor 

 did they suspend themselves by a thread, but seemingly dropped to the ground when 

 satiated or when the tree was struck, then crawled towards and up the trunks again to 

 the higher branches. The trunks of the trees and the ground, in places, were fairly green 

 with the crawling masses of them. The caterpillars were from | to f of an inch long 

 when first noticed, of a dark green colour at one end and a lighter green at the other, 

 The apple trees in the immediate vicinity had a few of the caterpillars but the plum trees 

 were not visited by them. A thorough spiaying destroyed them all. It was not until 

 about two months thereafter that the writer became aware of their visit through a letter 

 from Dr. Fletcher. The above particulars having been procured from Mr. Warner at such 

 a long interim from their appearance, further information could not be elicited. 



There has been a great scarcity of moths during the past season as compared with 

 last, very few coming to light and they only of the commonest species. 



Division No. 3. — Toronto District. — By D. G. Cox, Toronto. 



Owing to other duties the writer has had very limited opportunities for observing 

 the insect ravages of this district during the past season. 



The Tussock Moth (Orgyia leucostigma) is still with us and has caused considerable 

 damage to the foliage of the horse chestnuts in some localities. The civic authorities 

 did considerable spraying of the foliage in the early part of the season which no doubt 

 destroyed the young larvae in large numbers. The pest appears to be diminishing and if 

 they keep on fighting it, they will eventually succeed in getting it under control. 



The Tent caterpillar (Clisiocampa Americana) was in considerable numbers on the 

 wild cherry trees around the suburbs of Toronto, and many orchards were rendered un- 

 sightly by the tents. The Cabbage Butterfly (Pieris rapae) has been unusually numer- 



