REPORT OF STATE ENTOMOLOGIST, 1898 185 
certain species and if a few mulberry trees are set out their fruit will serve 
to protect the cherries as the birds are said to eat the mulberries by 
preference. Most of the preceding suggestions are taken from a very 
interesting and practical paper by Mr Forbush (see citation). His 
many years of experience and close observation of our birds entitle his 
writings to the highest respect. There is much that can be said in favor 
of protecting and encouraging our native birds and most farmers will 
find that a little effort along this line will be very profitable. In under- 
taking any such work, it will not do to judge entirely by the results 
obtained in one season. 
As this species breeds from year to year in large numbers on the wild 
cherry-trees along the roadsides, in fence corners and other uncultivated 
places, these trees should either be destroyed or else used as lures and 
heavily sprayed with poison early each spring in order to destroy the 
numerous caterpillars hatching from their abundant egg belts. It is prob- 
able that the destruction of the cherry-trees would be the wiser plan, for 
otherwise they would be too often neglected as is the case at present. If 
but a few wild cherry-trees were allowed to grow near an orchard and 
they were well sprayed with poison from year to year or the numerous 
egg belts removed, it is probable that the tent caterpillars would be found 
on the apple trees in comparatively small numbers. 
The exhaustive experiments, conducted by Dr Fernald, on the amount 
of paris green necessary to kill this species, show most conclusively that 
the caterpillars can be readily controlled by spraying with poison. The 
experiments prove that the larvae in any stage can be killed in two or 
three days with an application of one pound of paris green in from 300 
to 400 gallons of water, and that even the extremely dilute mixture of 
one pound to rooo gallons is deadly in two or three weeks after applica- 
tion. While in practice it will be found best to use paris green at the 
rate of one pound to 200 or 300 gallons or less, the experiments show 
that this species is much more sensitive to arsenical poisons than is the 
case with the gypsy moth, /orthetria dispar Linn., the spring canker 
worm, Paleacrifa vernata Peck, and some other injurious species. In 
cases where it is desirable to spray the trees early in the spring for the pur- 
pose of controlling other insects, the same application should be entirely 
effective in preventing injury by tent caterpillars. 
If for some reason or other, it is not desirable to spray at the proper 
time to kill this species, recourse may be had either to gathering the egg 
belts in the winter or early spring and destroying them, or to the destruc- 
tion of the young when assembled in their recently formed nests. The 
