888 FIFTH REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL COMMISSION. 



found to be in every case tenanted by a minute chalcid parasite, be- 

 longing to the genus Pteromalus. If new it may be called Pteromalus 

 nematicida (Plate xxvi, Fig. 5). About a hundred of these issued 

 from the cocoons in the breeding-box during May, 1883. This parasite 

 must therefore be a most destructive enemy of the larch worm. 



We also noticed several bugs, a species of Podisus, near the common 

 spinosus, preying upon the fully-grown worms; it ascends the trees and 

 pierces the worm with its beak, carrying it down the tree, and sucking 

 its blood, rendering it lifeless. 



Further data regarding the hachmatacTc or larch worm. — The following 

 facts were gathered during the summer of 1883 in Maine and New 

 Hampshire, and other points in New England and New York, and are 

 here put upon permanent record. 



We have already stated in the Entomologist's report that the larch 

 saw-fly {Wematus erichsonu'i) begins to deposit its eggs at Brunswick 

 about the 20th of June. During a journey to the Rangeley Lakes and 

 the White Mountains this saw-fl^^ was observed depositing its eggs, July 

 1, at Phillips, where it was observed to be abundant. It was also ob- 

 served on the 2d at the Mountain View House, Rangeley Lake ; also on 

 the larches along the Five Mile Carry from the middle Dam to LTmbagog. 

 It was also observed depositing eggs in trees at Errol, N. H. ; and 

 along the route from Errol to Berlin, N. H., it was observed at work 

 July 4, while a number of dead trees were noticed which had died 

 from the effects of their attacks during the preceding season. We 

 learned that they had been destructive last year in Cambridge, N. H. 



Early in Julj' these worms were also observed hj us on the European 

 larch in Lawrence, Mass., and they were abundant on the European 

 larch on the grounds of Andrew Nichols, esq., of Danvers, Mass. Jiily 

 16, the larches along the track of the Eastern Railroad from Saco to 

 Portland were observed to be brown, having been jjartly defoliated hy 

 the Nematus larva; some of the trees were almost entirely stripped. 



During the last week in July we went from Brunswick to Rockland, 

 and thence along the coast to Eastport, returning to Brunswick by way 

 of Calais and Bangor. The larch is a very common tree in the eastern 

 portion of Maine, especially along the coast, on the islands, and in the 

 northeastern and northern part of the State. It is comparatively rare 

 west of the Kennebec River. It appears, then, that throughout the State 

 the larch was this summer partly stripped, and a small proportion of 

 the trees was killed. The growths and forests of larch at this time as- 

 sumed a peculiar light yellowish brown appearance, as if a light fire 

 had passed through the trees, scorching them and causing them to 

 change their color. This singular tint was characteristic of the larches 

 wherever we went. We noticed this appearance in the lar<;hes from 

 Brunswick to Rockland, at Camden and Blue Hill ; also on Deer Isle 

 and adjacent islands ; also at and about Southwest and Bar Harbors, and 

 other points on Mount Desert Island and the islands eastward ; also at 



