1904 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



specimens. Tlies© were on tlie outskirts of the crowded parts, as the supply 

 of food was more plentiful than in the congested district, where it seemed to 

 be almost exhausted, and the specimens were small. (Specimens from Nia- 

 gara and Toronto were exhibited, showing the different sizes.) 



I was near Jackson's Point on Lake Simcoe the beginning of September, 

 and found the Potato-beetles rather numerous. They suddenly increased 

 about the 5th of September, and were very plentiful along the roads for a 

 day or two. I heard that some potato crops had suffered a good deal from 

 them. 



Butterflies have not been generally plentiful this year. The Monarch 

 {Anosia plexippus) is the only one that I have seen a really good number of 

 at one time. On August the 24th, they were very thick at the north end of 

 High Park. You could hardly stand anywhere in an area of several acres 

 without seeing seven or eight of them almost within striking distance. The 

 first of this species seen during the present year was on May 10th, and the 

 last on October 18th, both on Yonge street, in the centre of the city. Where 

 had the first come from, and where was the last going to? 



I heard from a friend, living just north of Toronto, that ants had been 

 very troublesome in his garden this summer, and he thought they injured his 

 potato plants ; but I did not have an opportunity to secure any specimens, 

 and so do not know what kind of ants these were. 



In the discussion that followed the reading of this report, Dr. Fletcher, 

 Mr. Balkwill, Dr. Bethune and Mr. Fisher, all stated that they had never seen 

 any injury done to foliage by ants. The damage was probably done by some 

 species of aphis, and the ants were attracted by them to the plants. 



Division No. 4 — Hamilton District. By George E. Fisher, Burlington. 



In submitting my report of insect conditions during the past year, per- 

 mit me to explain that the business in which I ^am engaged is so exacting of 

 my time there was little opportunity for investigation, which is to be re- 

 gretted, as the advantage, to growers of directing the attention of this im- 

 portant meeting to conditions that really exist cannot be overestimated. 



The Entomological Society's year just closing was not in my district 

 suitable for insect, advancement. The sudden plunge from almost tropical 

 to Arctic weather which occurred in October last, unexpected even by the in- 

 sects, was a terrible shock and put most of them out of business. This fol- 

 lowed by a winter of unprecedented frigidity and a cold wet summer that 

 came late, cut, them off in large proportion and seriously hampered develop- 

 ment. Unfortunately this abnormal weather which so seriously inconveni- 

 enced insects was equally trying to fruit crops, trees and plants. Apples 

 and plums were not plentiful in some, sections and where this occurred there 

 seemed to be a curculio or codling worm for every specimen that formed. A 

 great many plum trees had died. Peach trees have fared better. There will 

 be a rattling among the dry plum trees when spring comes ; and as the supply 

 of plums has been greatly in excess of the demand of late many dead and 

 dying orchards will not be replaced. The roots of fruit trees are more tender 

 than the tops and I would emphasize the importance of a cover crop for root 

 protection in Winter. Orchards may be cultivated with much advantage 

 down to July 15th; but after that date it is equally advantageous to give the 

 weeds full possession or in the absence of weeds to sow something. 



Some of the insects that have occasioned trouble from time to time in 

 this section were hardly to be found, particularly Canker Worm, Pear Psylla, 

 Cherry Maggot, Stink Bug and Pea Weevil, while others unusually bad were 



