D4 THIRTIETH REPORT ON THE STATE MUSEUM. 
far to the north of this road. Again, on the trail from Adiron- 
dack to Calamity Pond, there was sad evidence that the little 
destroyer had invaded also the forests of Essex county. From 
what I have seen at Lake Pleasant, in the southern part, and 
in the vicinity of Long Lake, in the northern part, and from 
information concerning the Cedar river region, in the central 
part of Hamilton county, there is reason to believe that much 
of the spruce timber of this county has already been invaded 
by the beetle. How much farther this destructive work has 
extended, or will extend, it is impossible to say. But one 
thing is certain, it is still in progress. 
For the purpose of gaining more knowledge of the insect, I 
cut down, at South Pond, a tree that had recently been attacked 
by it. It was about twenty inches in diameter at the base; the 
foliage was still fresh and green, and there was nothing, except 
the perforations in the bark, to indicate that it was at all affected. 
The bark peeled from the trunk without much difficulty, the 
sap wood was perfectly sound, and the heart wood also, except 
a small portion in which there was a slight appearance of inci- 
pient decay. Longitudinal furrows, varying from one to six 
inches in length, were found under the bark, and each furrow 
was occupied by one or two beetles. The furrows are excavated 
from below upwards. In the short ones but one beetle was 
found, and but one perforation communicating with the external 
air. In the longer ones two beetles (probably the two sexes), 
were usually found, and from two to four perforations afforded 
means of ingress and egress. The lowest perforation, which is 
the one by which the beetle first enters and commences its fur- 
row, is often found closed or ‘‘ blocked up’’ by the dust and 
debris thrown down by the excavator in the progress of the 
work. The second perforation is generally one or two inches 
above the first. I failed to discover whether it is made by 
the second beetle for the purpose of ingress or by the first 
beetle. The third and fourth perforations are in a nearly direct 
line above the other two and are probably made from within 
outwardly, but for what purpose is uncertain. In one instance 
the two beetles were found at work making these perforations, 
boring through from the inner surface of the bark. In one 
instance the third was less than half an inch above the second, 
so that there would seem to be no particular necessity for it. 
