28 THE EEPOET OF THE No. 36 



One of our most serious pests in Canada at present is the Brown-tail Moth, 

 now established in Kova Scotia. During the last summer we have also received 

 the first record of its breeding in New Brunswick, a single egg mass having been 

 found at St. Stephen, N.B. This was not surprising nor unexpected, in fact it is 

 singular that it has not been found breeding in numbers in that locality before, in 

 view of the fact that it extends along the coast of Maine as far north as the Ste. 

 Croix River. In July a visit was made to the eastern States, for the purpose of 

 studying the distribution of the Gipsy and Brown- tail Moths, and the means tliat 

 were being taken to control them and to prevent their spread. One object of this 

 visit was to ascertain to what extent nursery stock and other vegetation shipped 

 from these States into Canada was liable to be infested with these two insects: on 

 account of the conditions which prevailed a regulation was passed under the new 

 Destructive Insect and Pest Act, providing that all nursery stock from the six 

 eastern States: Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire 

 and Vermont shall be inspected at the point of destination. Reference may be 

 made here to the passing of the " Destructive Insect and Pest Act " during the last 

 session of Parliament. With the Brown-tail Moth and the San Jose Scale already 

 within our borders there was urgent need for legislation which would enable tlie 

 Federal Department of Agriculture to take such measures as would insure, so far 

 as is humanly possible, the freedom of nursery stock and other vegetation from 

 serious pests which are liable to enter Canada by .«uch means. It was also necessary 

 for the Minister of Agriculture to be empowered to carry out such eradicative 

 measures as shall be considered necessary to combat those insects which have already 

 established themselves in the country. Briefly, then, the new Act provides for the 

 fumigation of imported stock when it is necessary for the San Jose Scale, the in- 

 spection of European and certain other classes of imported stock for Brown-tail 

 and Gipsy Moths, the carrying on of such work as shall be necessary for the eradi- 

 cation of those pests scheduled and the compulsory treatment on the part of the 

 owners of trees and other vegetation infested. The insects at present scheduled are 

 the San Jose Scale, the Brown-tail and Gipsy Moths, the West Indian Peach Scale 

 and the Woolly Aphis. Armed with this machinery we hope to be able to fight 

 against the introduction of those pests to which Canada, as a rapidly-developing 

 country, is specially subject. Reverting to the Brown-tail Moth, the result of the 

 last season's inspection in Nova Scotia would indicate that, although in certain 

 localities the winter webs were numerous, on the whole the area infested was more 

 restricted, thanks to the energetic action of Prof. Gumming, the Secretary for 

 Agriculture for Nova Scotia. During the coming winter season we intend to co- 

 operate with the Provincial Government and carry on an active campaign. It was 

 interesting to find that the only batch of eggs discovered in New Brunswick was 

 parasitised by a small egg parasite, apparently a species of Triclio gramma. 



Another alien which, unfortunately, has been added to our gradually increas- 

 ing fauna of injurious insects, is the Narcissus Fly (Merodon equestris, Fab.). 

 This was reported from Victoria, B.C., and during my recent visit to the district 

 I had the opportunity of looking into the matter. It was probably introduced on 

 Dutch bulbs. The fly somewhat resembles the Drone Fly, belonging to the same 

 family, the Syrphidse, and the maggot feeds in the centre of the bulb, thereby 

 causing its death. The bulb-grower who reported this insect to the Division of 

 Entomology had about 50,000 bulbs of narcissus and daffodils destroyed last year 

 by the fly. On account of the habits of the larvge it is difficult to devise effectual 

 preventive or eradicative measures ; some benefit resulted from spraying with an 

 arsenical. Further details of the life-history and habits of the fly in Canada 

 must be elucidated before measures can be suggested. 



