ISew York Agricultural Experiment Station. 547 



culture for that year. The popular name, Pistol-Case-Bearer, 

 comes from the fact that the peculiar cases which the caterpillars 

 construct for themselves slightly resemble a pistol in shape. 

 Although we have not seen this name in print, it seems to have 

 been in general use throughout the season among fruit growers 

 who are familiar with the insect.* 



When and where to loolc for them. — During the winter the case- 

 bearers are not as readily detected, especially by those who are 

 not familiar with them, as later in the season, when the cater- 

 pillars have enlarged their cases, making them very easy of 

 detection, especially when occurring in large numbers. It is 

 important, however, that the trees be carefully examined during 

 the winter or early spring, so that, if the case-bearers are pres- 

 ent, the remedy may be applied before it is too late. They will 

 be found in greatest abundance upon the young twigs and usually 

 close to the buds, or even upon them. 



As will be shown later, each one of these little cases contains 

 a living caterpillar, which, when warm weather comes, moves 

 about freely, carrying its clumsy-looking case with apparent ease. 

 Plate XL, fig. 1, is from a photograph of two infested apple twigs, 

 natural size, cut from the tree in December. The caterpillars 

 themselves are not seen, as they are hidden within their peculiar 

 cases, which, it will be observed, are fastened on end to the bark. 

 Each case is made largely of silk, which is spun and woven by 

 its owner much as a caterpillar ordinarily spins and weaves its 

 cocoon. The inner layer is comparatively smooth and closely 

 woven, while the outer is loose and less substantial. In color 

 they closely resemble the bark. 



A closely allied species. — The cigar-case-bearer (Coleophora fletch- 

 erella) is sometimes confused, by the casual observer, with the 

 species under discussion. The winter forms of the two species 

 may at first appear somewhat alike, but a careful examination 

 will show tliat the case of the cigar-case-bearer of average size 

 is usually somewhat smaller and lighter in color than that of the 



•Since this bulletin was written wp hav« ri'cei'eii Builetiu 121 of the Cornell V- i?-, 

 Agl. Exp. Station, iu which Mr. Slingpfland siigsests the name. 



