882 FIFTH REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL COMMISSION. 



Mr. G. is secretary of the Maine Board of Agriculture. It looks as though our hack- 

 matack forests might be totally destroyed by this insect. 



I inclose some clippings from the Home Farm referring to this insect. 



I also send you some terminal shoots of white pine, in which you may find living 

 specimens of a borer in three stages; I suppose it is Pissodes strobi. In one grove of 

 white pine on my farm it has taken 10 per cent, of the leading shoots. 



Charles G. Atkins. 



Grand Lakk Stream, Me., February 27, 1883. 



In September, after receiving your request to send the cocoons to Providence, I ex- 

 amined them (hurriedly), and finding some defective ones concluded the whole lot was 

 worthless. I went out once afterwards to get some more, but did not find them. I 

 now think the cocoons I had weremostly sound in September or October, and possibly 

 may be now, but my keeping them dry and generally warm all this time may have de- 

 stroyed their vitality. Such as they are I mail them to j'ou herewith. 



I learned from E. C. Smith, of New Sharon, Franklin County, that the worm in 

 question infested the hackmatacks in that town last year. Also from Z. A. Gilbert, 

 secretary Board Agriculture, that in August, 1882, he made a trip to Aroostook County, 

 and, my inquiries having called his attention to the matter, he looked for indications 

 of the itresence of the hackmatack worm and saw none. He was acquainted with 

 them at home, in Androscoggin County. 



Very truly yours, Chas G. Atkins. 



The hackmatack in the region near to and south and southeast of the 

 Eaugeley lakes, and near Phillips, Me., were also defoliated in the early 

 part of the summer of 1882, as we have been informed by Dr. H. G. 

 Miller, of Providence, R. I., who went to the lakes in August. 



In the summer of 1883 we found the females laying eggs, and young 

 hatched out late in June and early in July, from Brunswick to Phillips, 

 about Lake Umbagog, especially at Brrol, N. H., and by the middle and 

 last of July the trees were nearly stripped of their leaves throughout 

 Maine, and many trees were fatally injured. 



Its ravages in New HampsMre. — In Francouia, as we have been in- 

 formed by Prof. W. W. Bailey, of Brown University, Providence, the 

 hackmatacks were stripi)ed of their leaves about the middle of July, 

 1882, the smaller trees suffering most. The trees were observed by him 

 August 10. We noticed at Errol, on Umbagog Lake, numerous trees 

 which had been killed by the worms, and from the number of worms 

 seen July 4th do not doubt that many trees in that section were at least 

 partly stripped a week or two later. 



Its appearance in Massachusetts. — We learn from Mr. Andrew Nichols 

 that the European larches were, in 1882, attacked by " worms" in the 

 vicinity of Dauvers, Mass, In July, 1883, the worms abounded on the 

 same trees, specimens being sent us by Mr. Nichols. We observed worms 

 at work in July, 1883, on the European larch at Lawrence, Mass., and 

 they were also destructive at Danvers, Mass. Prof. C. S. Sargent, di- 

 rector of the Arnold Arboretum, Brookliue, Mass., and special agent of 

 the United States Census, Forestry Division, writes us as follows : 



I have not heard of any injury to our native hackmatacks. Three or four years ago, 

 however, I noticed that specimens ot the European larch in this immediate neigh- 

 borhood were sufifering from the attacks of a larva, which I gathered and submitted 

 to Dr. Hagen. I inclose his note upon the subject. 



