OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 77 



In Colman's Rural World for October 15tli,186G, (p. 312), maybe 

 found the lollowing paragraph : 



FROM IIAllTVILLK, MO. 



N. J. CoLMAN, Esq.: The lice are utterly destroying the best 

 apple orchards in ihis county. They seem to start on the trunks of 

 the trees, spreading rapidly over the branches, and then on the 

 apples — killing huge trees in two years. Orchards on land descend- 

 ing to the nortii c>re more subject to them than when planted on 

 other land. Some men \n this neighborhood have tried every remedy 

 they could hear of, without effect, so far. What is an effectual remedy 

 against them ? 



R. B. PALMER. 



It was in suppo^'ing that this communication referred to the na- 

 tive white species known as Harris's Bark-louse (Rep. 1, p. 7) that I 

 erred; for it was in reality the Oyster-shell species to which reference 

 was had. Such false inferences would be impossible if correspondents 

 were more explicit! From facts given by Mr. Wm. Ralmer, of Hart- 

 ville, to whom I am indebted for many kindnesses, it appears that 

 these scales were first discovered, as much as twenty-five years ago,, 

 in the southern part of Wright county, on some trees obtained from 

 New York. They spread in a circuit of four or five miles, and 

 destroyed several orchards, but have been dying out of late years, as 

 several newly planted orchards, within the circuit, are uninfested and 

 thrifty. The}'^ first were noticed in his own orchard in the year 1860, 

 and have more or less infested eight hundred fine trees, though they 

 have, for the past two years, been perceptibly on the decrease, and 

 were scarcely to be found on the new growth of 1872. Why this bark- 

 louse flourishes in Wright, and dies out in St. Louis county, is not easy 

 of explanation. It may be owing to the occurrence of enemies in the 

 one which do not occur in the other; but it is more likely owing to 

 the fact that in Wright county the infested orchards are situated on 

 the Ozark Mountains, where the climate is exceptional, and more re- 

 sembles that of the northern half of the State — that, in short, the 

 isentomic conditions, which otherwise limit the southern range of the 

 species to a higher parallel, there occur as an exception. 



ITS RANGE SOUTH. 



Facts still more interesting and unlooked-for, regarding this in- 

 sect's distribution, are, however, to be given. It not only thrives on 

 the 37th parallel, when the conditions are favorable ; but actually 

 flourishes below the 33d, as I have received it from Carthage, Leake 

 county, right in the center of Mississippi, where it has done much 

 damage, and is douhle-brooded ! In July, 1870, Mr. J. W. Merchant, 

 of Carthage, wrote to me that he was satisfied the insect was found 

 there, and that he had, the winter previous, cut down and burned 

 about 200 apple trees that were infested wdth it. Upon expressing 



