B. C. EXTO.MOLOGICAL PROCEEDINGS, llUl. 35 



the fjilobe are at times disturbed b\ unusual outbreaks of anno\ int; in- 

 sects; but the point I wish to make is that the ch'matic temperament 

 of B. C, while influencing the size of both plants and animals in B. C, 

 the same factors with insects affects their numbers. Some eight years 

 ago the waters of Esquimalt Harbour were completely covered by the 

 adults of the Pine White, Mentipia iieophasla, and two years ago in 

 Southern Okanagan this same insect was so common on the Bull Pines 

 that six or seven adults could be caught b\- each sweep of the net In 

 their direction. 



Again, on comparing the vegetation of the coast with the so-called 

 Dry Belt of B. C, the difference is very marked. In many cases the 

 same species are common to both districts. Take onl\ one instance, the 

 Douglas Fir. It is no uncommon sight to notice a tree cut six feet on 

 the stump on the coast, but such a thing would be unknown in the dry 

 belt. 



I am afraid the subject is too vast to bring within the scope of a 

 paper of this kind, so instead I shall take the liberty to switch off a 

 little and try and show the effect of distribution of some of our common 

 insects, at the same time pointing out where this might be due to climatic 

 influences. 



If we take a map of B. C. and look at the \alle\' of the Fraser 

 River, from Hope down to its mouth, you will notice that we have 

 here one of the most important farming districts in the Province. This 

 comprises the districts of Agassiz, Harrison, Chilliwack, Dewdney, 

 Matsqui, Langley, Surrey, Delta and Lulu Island. This part of the 

 country is, from its climatic and soil conditions, naturally one which 

 carries a most luxuriant plant growth, and consequently is a rich feed- 

 ing ground for many species of destructive insects. The insect which 

 has caused the most visible destruction is the Tent Caterpillar. For 

 five jears it has devastated the forests, and where timely protection has 

 not been given the orchards have also been destroyed. Long stretchs 

 of country in the Fraser \ alley may be seen where the bush has been 

 killed, and in such numbers were they on occasion that I have known 

 them on the C. P. R. railway line to cause the engineer considerable 

 difficulty in starting a grade owing to the grease from these insects on 

 the rails. On Vancouver Island the depredations of this insect have 

 been confined to more restricted areas. These are the immediate 

 neighbourhood, the Saanish peninsula ; the neighbourhood of Duncans, 

 from whence there is a gap of nearly ninety miles over onto the low, 

 rich land about Alberni. Now when we examine the soil and vegetation 

 in all of these different districts, we find a preponderance of what I 

 think is the natural and favorite plant food of this insect. \iz., the wild 

 crab-apple. 1 ha\e observed that it attacks something like this: 



