190 Forty-ninth Report on the State Museum 



to be this insect. In 1883, many accounts were received of its destruc- 

 tiveness and remarkable abundance in Westchester county, in portions 

 now embraced within the limits of New York city. In 1887, it created 

 considerable alarm in Poughkeepsie, 74 miles from New York and almost 

 midway between that city and Albany. In 1890, the citizens of Hudson 

 became excited over its advent. In 1891 it was seen in New Baltimore, 

 and a year later it reached, and commenced its operations, in the southern 

 portion of Albany. 



When First Observed in Albany. 

 The first example of the beetle to come under my notice, was taken 

 within my house, on a window, on the 25th of September, 1894. It was 

 learned later that its operations had arrested the attention of Superin- 

 tendent of Parks, Egerton, in 1893, while engaged in the construction of 

 a new park near the southern limit of Albany. And still later, upon 

 visiting a locality where the insect had been very destructive, a little to 

 the north of the new park, it was learned that the injury to the elms had 

 commenced in the spring of 1892. 



Its Abundance in July of 1895. 



On the middle of July of the present year, the capture of several of 

 the beetles abroad, led me to examine the elms near my residence. At 

 the base of a large Scotch elm, Ulmus montana, large numbers of the 

 pupae were found lying on the hard dried ground between the branching 

 roots and on the adjoining brick pavement. Examination of the other 

 elms on Hawk street, between Hudson avenue and Hamilton street, 

 while some of the trees were apparently exempt, more of them showed a 

 similar abundance of pupse with an occasional newly-disclosed beetle 

 among them. In places twenty-five pupae could be counted to the 

 square inch. Many were also seen in crevices of the bark. They were 

 transforming rapidly, for of five placed in a vial on the 15th, two had 

 changed to the perfect insect on the 17th and the remainder on the day 

 following. 



From the fact that no larvae were noticed either at the base of the 

 trees or descending the trunk, it was evident that their descent must 

 have commenced, at the least, two weeks earlier, or more probably, in 

 the month of June. Absence from the city for the month following 

 June loth, had prevented my making any observations during this time 

 upon the development of the brood. 



