420 FORTY -EIGHTH KEPOB.T ON THE STATE MUSEUM 



eighty trees, upon a most careful search, he was unable to find a single 

 specimen perfect or clear of one or more blemishes caused by the 

 punctures of this insect. Besides the quince, it had been quite destructive 

 to Lawrence, Seckel, and Duchesse pears. 



The quince curculio has not been treated of, in detail, in any of the 

 New York reports. It was not noticed by Dr. Fitch, and was 

 probably unknown to him, at leai^t, as occurring in the State of New 

 York, having been first del^c^ibed by Mr. Walsh in 1863, as found 

 abundantly ("swarming") on wild haws in the West. A brief notice 

 of its feeding habits, transformations, its injuries and remedies for it, is 

 to be found in the Second Meport on the Insec's of JVtio York, 1885. 

 Prof. Riley has given an extended account of it in his Third Heport 

 on the Insects of Missonri. The literature relating to it is quite 

 limited. 



The Seventeen-Year Locust in the State of New York in 1894. 



(Ord. Hemiptera: Subord. IIomopteka: Fam. Cicadid^.) 



The " Hudson river valley brood " of this interesting insect ( Cicada 

 septendecirn), winch was previously seen in the year 1877, made its return 

 at its expected time — during the latter part of May, continuing during 

 the month of June and gradually disappearing in the early part of 

 July. It is the largest in number and the most extended in its range 

 of any of the six New York broods. This alone would render its visit 

 of more than ordinary interest, but in addition thereto the interest 

 always attaching to it was largely increased by the discover}'- in a 

 number of places in the State of curiously formed clayey structures 

 built by the pupal insect upon the surface of the ground to a height of 

 two or three inches, in continuation of the underground burrows, 

 frequently in many thousands and occasionally in hundreds of 

 thousands. Why they were exceptional, and were in some places 

 found intermingled with the ordinary open burrows, and what cause 

 led the pupns to construct tbem — notwithstanding the study that has 

 been given them and the explanations that have been offered — these 

 and other questions connected with them still remain to be satisfac- 

 torily answered through future observations and study. 



That the occasion might be improved in obtaining information of 

 the precise territory occupied by this brood, of its building operations, 

 and of other matters relating to it, the following was prepared as a 

 circular and largely distributed throughout the Hudson river coun- 



