86 SECOND REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



figured in my first report (page 29, fig. 8), will be found convenient to 

 use in connection with a pail of the mixture hanging upon the left 

 arm. When the mixture is to be employed in this manner, the stirring 

 necessary to prevent the settling of the Paris green would be rather in- 

 convenient, and it would, therefore, be better to substitute London pur- 

 ple, which remains suspended for a longer time in water. A half-ounce 

 of the purple to a pailful of water, or the somewhat stronger mixture of 

 a half-pound to the barrel could be used for the purpose. 



Cotton bands. — Bands made of loose cotton batting placed around 

 the trunk, at arm's reach or higher, have become quite popular in some 

 of our cities, as a means of preventing the Orgyia attack. Their indis- 

 criminate use must be condemned. They may be of service, and they 

 may be decidedly objectionable. From what has been written of the 

 natural history and habits of this species, it will be seen that the attack, 

 in almost every instance, proceeds from the eggs dejjosited the preceding 

 year U2Jon the tree. If, therefore, the tree is of so small a size as to ad- 

 mit of its thorough inspection throughout and the certainty that no egg 

 clusters are upon it (which could rarely be attained), then a band ap- 

 plied would prevent the caterpillars which may be wandering in search ot 

 food from ascending its trunk and feeding upon the leaves. But if the 

 eggs or the young larvae are already upon the tree, the band will prove 

 a positive evil. In the event of the caterpillars having so thinned the 

 foliage that a better feeding ground is desired, the cotton barrier en- 

 countered in their attempted migration would turn them back to resume 

 and complete their destructive work. With even fewer numbers upon 

 the tree, the barriers would prevent the mature caterpillars from descend- 

 ing to the rougher bark of the lower part of the trunk, in the crevices of 

 which they prefer to build their cocoons, and would confine them to 

 the branches, where it would be difficult to discover the egg-clusters, and 

 to reach them for their destruction as previously recommended. 



A New Form of Orgyia Attack. 



In the summer of 1883, contemporaneously with the first appearance 

 of the Orgyia attack upon the foliage, between the loth and 15 th of 

 June, the sidewalks, streets and public parks in Albany, wherever the 

 white elm (Ulmits Americanus) was growing, were observed to be 

 sprinkled with newly fallen leaves. They continued to drop in increas- 

 ing number until toward the close of the month, when, in many places 

 where they had been permitted to lie undisturbed, they completely cov- 

 ered the walks or ground. 



Upon taking some of them up for examination, they were found to 

 be attached to the tips of the twigs and to comprise nearly all of the new 



