69 



293). I have found it upon basswood on several occasions. Last Septem- 

 ber I found a young tree of this kind that had been defoliated by the 

 larvae. Many of the brood had buried themselves, but about a score of 

 them were left ; and these were finishing off a few remaining leaves on one 

 of the topmost branches of the tree. 



The larva of S. albifrons is a pretty object. It is rather long in pro- 

 portion to its girth, and is marked with broad stripes of pale lilac and 

 yellow and with finer black lines. On the eighth segment of its body there 

 is a large orange-red hump. 



These larvae drop from the tree on the slightest disturbance and lie 

 hidden in the undergrowth. 



Schizura concinna (Smith & Abbot). — Another red-humped caterpillar 

 is that of Schizura concinna ; but in this case the hump is on the fourth 

 segment, not on the eighth. This larva is more robust than that of 

 S. albifrons. Its body colors are white and yellow, and it is marked with 

 wavy black lines and with black tubercles. 



When I lived in Montreal in the early sixties of last century ento- 

 mology had received but little attention there. Indeed, the only entomo- 

 logist I could find in the city was Mr. Barnston who lived on City Councillor 

 street. In those days I frequently found broods of S. concinna in the young 

 orchards on Cote des Neiges, and, though they did much damage, the fruit- 

 growers seemed to pay but little attention to them. 



At Quebec, where apple-trees are scarce, the species feeds on the 

 bramble. At Hull, on the 24th of last August I found a dwarf willow 

 denuded by them. They are also said to feed on the thorn (Packard's 

 Insects injurious to Forest and Shade Trees, p. 457). 



Now, all the four species I have referred to are prolific ; all are gregari- 

 ous; and, in their early stages, they cluster on the under sides of the 

 leaves of the plants which they frequent, and so escape notice. It can 

 readily be conceived that in a succession of seasons favourable to their 

 increase, and in a failure from any cause of the natural checks upon them, 

 each of them might become a serious pest, especially so in the case of the 

 two last named which feed on a variety of plants. 



In the forest it would be difficult, if not impossible, to deal with them. 

 But, in regard to those feeding upon trees grown in the open, the case 

 would not be so difficult. Spraying by means of a nozzle that sends the 

 poisonous fluid upward through the foliage would be a sure remedy. 



In the case of young ornamental trees grown near the homestead, the 

 use of spraying might be avoided, if, in June, the branches were lifted, and 

 the under-side of the young foliage carefully scanned for clustered eggs 

 and larvae, and if these were carefully destroyed. 



