40 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 
insect, as experience has shown, is more or less local in its opera- 
tions and general predictions regarding its work are in most cases 
rather hazardous. 
Shade tree problem. This phase of practical entomology has 
made considerable demands upon our time in the last few years. 
This has been due in large part to extensive defoliations of street 
and park trees in many cities and villages of the State by the white 
marked tussock moth, a species which rarely occurs in destructive 
numbers outside of municipalities and villages, and one easily con- 
trolled by intelligent effort. The elm leaf beetle has been par- 
ticularly destructive in the Hudson valley and has become estab- 
lished in cities and villages in other portions of the State. The 
work of these leaf feeders and their allies has created a great demand 
for information along these lines. A number of popular articles 
have been sent to the local press in various parts of the State,urging 
the adoption of comprehensive measures for the protection of trees. 
It is gratifying to state that considerable interest has been aroused 
and most commendable efforts made to protect the trees. The city of 
Albany, in its budget for 1907, has made provision for the employ- 
ment of a forester who will be charged with the general care of 
the trees. This plan, if carried out, provides for the protection of 
the trees from year to year — something which we have been adyo- 
cating for some time. This is by far the most satisfactory way to 
care for street and park trees and we hope soon to see other cities 
and many villages adopting the same method. A special bulletin, 
treating of the elm leaf beetle and white marked tussock moth and 
giving summary accounts of each, has been prepared and will be 
issued shortly. More extended accounts of these and other insect 
enemies of shade trees are given in our reftent publication on Insects 
Affecting Park and Woodland Trees [N. Y. State Mus. Mem. 8], 
a quarto work of two volumes comprising about 1000 pages, illus- 
trated by 72 plates (20 colored) and over 200 text figures. 
Gipsy and brown tail moths. These two dangerous insects, 
thoroughly and widely established in eastern New England, have 
been the objects of considerable attention at our hands. The gipsy 
moth in particular is a most dangerous leaf feeder and has excited 
much interest. Owing to the fact that this latter species has been 
very destructive in eastern Massachusetts and is still extending its 
range, it was deemed wise to distribute in many sections of the 
State a warning placard briefly describing the insect and the asso- 
ciated brown tail moth. This latter displays a marked preference 
