16 THE REPORT OF THE No. 36 



be entirely effective, though in one or two localities complaint was made that the 

 grasshoppers would not touch it. This failure may have been caused by some 

 defect in making the mixture or in the mode of application. In Manitoba this 

 year it has proved to be an excellent remedy. 



The Tussock Moth was said to be on the increase in country districts, though 

 largely kept in check by its parasitic enemies. In Toronto the methods employed 

 for its control were much criticized; spraying was done towards the end of July 

 when a large proportion of the caterpillars had ceased feeding; those in charge 

 of the operation had so little experience that they used nozzles that were too coarse, 

 and allowed the pavement and roadway to receive more of the arsenicals than the 

 trees. Subsequently the gathering of cocoons was begun much too soon and then 

 tlie appropriation was exhausted and further supplies refused when this part of 

 the work might have been performed most effectively. 



OBSERVATIONS ON A FEW INSECTS OF THE SEASON. 



By Lawson Caesar, Ontario Agricultural College, Guelph. 



A year ago last June, when in the vicinity of Niagara-on-the-Lake, I hap- 

 pened to notice a number of white pine trees that seemed to me to have an abnor- 

 mally large number of dead twigs. On investigation it seemed evident that some 

 sort of borer had been the cause of their death as every twig had a longitudinal 

 hole in the wood and a considerable amount of castings at the entrance. No 

 insects, however, were found in the tunnels or on any of the twigs examined. On 

 the 21st of June of the present year I was in the same district and again examined 

 the same trees. Once more it was clear that borers had been at work. After exam- 

 ining as many twigs as time permitted four specimens of beetles were found in the 

 tunnels. Two of these belonged to one species and the other two to another, but 

 they were all apparently Scolytids. The larger species was not more than about 

 half the size of the Shot-hole Borer (Scolytus rugulosus) , and the smaller species 

 was only half the size of the larger. 



Not having seen this injury elsewhere I thought that it might be the work 

 of some dangerous pest that had just crossed the border and might later on spread 

 through our pine forests. Accordingly I sent specimens of the injured twigs to 

 Dr. Hopkins, of Washington, who has charge of Forest Insect investigations. No 

 beetles were gent with the twigs because I supposed he would be perfectly familiar 

 with their work and could tell me the cause without them. His letter is as follows : 



"I have your letter of the 22nd. instant and the specimen of white pine twig that 

 has been injured by a beetle. I examined the specimen and find the work of the beetle, 

 but to my great disappointment no insect could be found. This is a most interesting 

 example of injury, differing from anything I have seen in the East, although I have 

 seen something like it on the Pacific Goast and in the Rocky Mountain region. Therefore 

 I wish you would send a good supply of infested twigs in order that I may be sure to 

 get the beetle. It is evidently a scolytid, but without specimens it cannot be identified. 

 The blighted appearance of the twig is similar to that which was very prevalent through- 

 out northern New England last summer, but in our quite extensive investigations, in 

 which many different causes were found for the dying of the twigs, we did not find 

 evidence of the work of this insect. Therefore the matter is of special interest, and I 

 hope you will send us plenty of specimens without delay, for fear that they may leave the 

 twigs. After we have made a study of the matter we will be very glad to give you 

 further information on the subject." 



