1910 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 55 



Early on the morning of July 29th, therefore, I left Maniwaki, Que., in com- 

 pany with Mr. M. Boyle, of the W. C. Edwards Company, and' drove to) Baskatong, 

 about 40 miles due north, which place we reached about 5.30 in the afternoon. 

 Around Baskatong the injury to spruce and balsam was very apparent, owing to 

 the conspicuous reddening of the tops of the trees. Early the following morning 

 we left Baskatong and spent the whole day examining trees at different points. As 

 soon as the first tree was cut down I saw at once that a lepidopterous insect had 

 been at work. Thousands of the empty pupal cases of the moths were present 

 on the trees, and these, with the partly eaten and discoloured dead foliage, together 

 with the excrement from the caterpillars, gave the conspicuous reddish appearance 

 to the tops of the trees. The injury for this year, of course, had stopped before 

 the time of my visit. The caterpillars had evidently become full-grown during 

 the first and second weeks of July. Moths which had issued some days before 

 the end of July were present in large numbers on the trees, and from fairly good 

 examples collected, I saw that the species was Tortrix fumiferana, Clemens, which 

 is known popularly as the Spruce Bud-worm. The caterpillars had fed chiefly at 

 the tops of the trees, although some injury was done towards the ends of many 

 of the lower branches. The foliage for about four or five feet from the tops of 

 the infested trees was almost wholly destroyed, being either partly or completely 

 eaten by the caterpillars. This, with the exposed pupal cases above referred to, 

 gave the trees the conspicuous reddish appearance, and caused the rather wide- 

 spread report among lumbermen that the trees were dying. In looking over a 

 valley on the opposite hillside, the trees appeared as if fire had swept through 

 the region. Other than loss of foliage and the consequent setback thus caused, 

 the trees did not seem to be seriously injured. The tops were perfectly green 

 under the bark. 



The outbreak of the Spruce Bud-worm this year has been most remarkable 

 and very widespread. N"ot only has this insect done much damage all through 

 the Upper Gatineau country and other adjacent districts, where there are large 

 tracts of spruce and balsam trees, but even in British Columbia reports have been 

 received of much injury by the Tortrix. Dr. C. Gordon Hewitt, Dominion Ento- 

 mologist, when in British Columbia, in October last, saw the conspicuous work of 

 the insect and received reports from local entomologists concerning its ravages. 



The Spruce Bud-worm, when mature, is nearly an inch in length, tapering 

 slightly from the middle to the end. In colour it is dark brown and bears con- 

 spicuous whitish-yellow piliferous tubercles, and along the side of the body there 

 is a yellowish stripe. The eggs of the insect are scale-like and are deposited in 

 clusters overlapping each other. The partly grown caterpillars pass the winter 

 among the terminal shoots of the trees, completing their growth the following year. 

 The moth expands about 7-8 of an inch when the wings are spread. In colour 

 it is dull gray, the fore wings overlaid with bands, streaks and spots of brown. 

 In the middle of the upper margin of the front wings there is a rather large 

 conspicuous whitish spot. In British Columbia, this year, the moths were of a 

 distinct reddish .colour, but all the eastern specimens noticed were of the gray form. 



When an insect attacks forest trees, such as has been the case with the Spruce 

 Bud-worm the past summer, it is, of course, impossible to do anything in the way 

 of applying remedial treatment, such as is done for leaf-eating insects when at- 

 tacking orchard or ornamental trees. Fortunately an outbreak of such a nature, 

 however, is generally attended by natural parasites, which sooner or later restore 

 the balance of nature. From observations made, and from parasites reared in 



