36 TBE REPORT OF THE No 19 



I have been unable to breed an adult from the caterpillar. I am of the opinion that ife 

 winters over as a pupa. The caterjjillar is between one-third and one-half of an inch in 

 length, is white with a slight tinge of green, tapers slightly between both ends, its head and 

 cervical shields are dark brown, each segment of the body has eight little elevations and from 

 the centre of each rises a hair. Mr. Spillett, of Nantyr, has lost nearly his entire crop It is 

 probable that the only way of dealing with this pest is to spray the young fruit thoroughly with 

 Paris green just after blossoming. Mr. Spillet describes the work as follows : "For the pasb 

 two years I have had strong suspicions that this falling, which has now become serious, was 

 caused by the presence of a maggot in the berry, as every berry after lying on the ground for 

 * few days had a dark spot appear on the surface of the skin which gradually enlarges until 

 the whole pulp becomes red but not ripe. Again the thick skinned varieties are never 

 affected." 



Asparagus beetles. The Asparagus beetle is still marching westward through the penin- 

 sula of Ontario. Last year there were but few of them in evidence at Guelph, but this year 

 thd 12-spotted species were quite abundant. None of the steel-blue forms {Crioceris asparagi) 

 were seen. 



At St. Catharines where the asparagus beetles are very numerous, considerable trouble is 

 experienced in preventing damage to the crop. One grower says that he has trained his hens 

 to feed in the asparagus rows, and he is no longer troubled with the pests. Another reports 

 using McBain's carbolic wash (1 to 45) with excellent results. 



Other garden Insects. The Squash-bug and Cucumber beetles were not serious pests th a 

 season, and not much damage was done so far as I could learn. It ia difficult to account fo ■ 

 the diminution. 



In Essex many complaints were received as to the ravages of the Tobacco Sphinx caterpillar. 

 Few of the growers appeared to see any connection between the caterpil'ar, the jug-handled 

 pupa, and the large sphinx moth which is often mistaken for a bat. In ordinary years hand- 

 picking the caterpillars is suffic'ent to keep them in check. In tobacco sections greater atten- 

 tion should be given to the destruction of the pupae, for they are readilyaeeii when the ground 



is plowed. 



Cabbage root maggots were abundant early in the season, but when prompt attenti(m was 



given to the young crop no serious harm was done. The maggots were readily detected, the 



infested plants removed, and new plants substituted. Most cabbage-growers prefer to replant 



rather than use the Goff tar-piper collar. 



NOTES ON THE SEASON 1903. (WESTERN QUEBEC.) 

 By Charles Stevenson, Montreal. 



The collecting season was similar to that of 1902. It was very promising during the first 

 months but the low temperature during the latter part of June and St. Swithin's rains through- 

 out the last half of July and the fir^t half of August made insect-hunting out of the question. 

 The latter half of August was good and the results of the net showed that the emergence of 

 many forms of insects had been kept back. 



The attractive captures during the season in Coleoptera, were ; — 



Hadrohregmus foveatus, Kirliy, Montreal, 22nd March. 



Eastrophiis hifasciatus, Say. Cote des Neiges, 10th April. 



JDorcaschema nigriim. Say. Montreal, 14th May. 



Bruchylobus lithophilus, Chd. Laval Co., 7th June. 



Loricera caerulescens, Linn. Laval Co., 7th June. 



Callidium aereum, Newni. Montreal, 23rd June. 



