56 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 
The caterpillars of this pest were so numerous on some streets 
and in parks of these cities as to be extremely obtrusive, occurring 
thickly on tree trunks, walks, fences and even the sides of buildings. 
Many of these places now harbor large numbers of the conspicuous 
white egg masses which, unless removed, give promise of a repe- 
tition of this plague in 1907. A summarized account of this insect 
has been prepared and will appear in a special bulletin treating of 
this species and the equally destructive elm leaf beetle. 
A very interesting condition was observed in Capitol park July 5. 
Many of the trees were badly infested by the tussock moth, several 
being almost entirely defoliated, and that morning the ground was 
rather thickly strewn with leaves and leaf-bearing twigs. Most of 
the latter bore from three to five or six leaves, and the cut end had 
invariably been completely girdled for a distance ranging from one 
fourth to nearly an inch in length. This peculiar form of injury 
was first observed by the late Dr Lintner in 1883, who actually saw 
caterpillars engaged in the girdling operation. Subsequently ques- 
tions arose as to whether the depredator was correctly identified. 
It is gratifying to state that the trees in Capitol park, mentioned 
above, were infested by practically no other insect, the tussock moth 
caterpillars were in several instances observed upon the falling 
twigs, and there is therefore every reason to believe that this larva 
was the author of this somewhat anomalous injury. The girdling 
was limited, as was also observed by Dr Lintner, to the new growth, 
and as the past summer has been exceptionally moist, it is barely 
possible that there is some connection between a rapid succulent 
growth and this form of injury, since it is only occasionally that the 
larvae girdle the twigs, as recorded above. 
Spiny elm caterpillar (Euvanessa antiopa Linn.). 
This large, dark, red spotted, black spined larva is present in small 
numbers from year to year on elm, willow and poplar, in particular. 
Caterpillars were received from different sections of the State, from 
the latter part of July to the middle of August, and in most instances 
they were taken for the gipsy moth, Porthetria dispar 
Linn., an insect which has not become established in the State so 
far as known. This spiny caterpillar feeds in clusters and, as a 
consequence, its operations are much more apparent than if it were 
less gregarious. It is quite susceptible to arsenical poisons and 
easily controlled by these means wherever such treatment is 
advisable. 
Elm leaf beetle (Galerueella Auteola) Mulls)7ytis 
