48 N.S. ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



reducing the leaf to a skeleton. As the se'ason progresses one or more 

 leaves are tied together with silk to form the winter nest. About Octo- 

 ber 15 this nest is well formed and dirty yellow in color, later bleaching 

 out with the rain and sun to the characteristic gray white winter nest. 

 On dry sunny days during the winter these nests reflect the sun and show 

 up a bright white for a long distance; when dampened by fog or rain the 

 white color disappears and the nest becomes a dirty gray, about the color 

 of the bark of the tree and is very hard to see. The winter nests contain 

 on an average in Nova Scotia about 250 small caterpillars, which emerge 

 when the first leaves appear in the spring, usually about May 1st. When 

 they first emerge from the winter nest the larvae are strongly positively 

 heliotropic, climbing to the top of the branches there feeding on the young 

 leaves, in about two weeks the positive heliotropism disappears and the 

 larvae scatter over the trees feeding singly and maturing about the first 

 week in July. The full grown larvae are from 1 to 1 1-2 inches in length, 

 brown, very hairy with lateral rows of white spots on the abdominal 

 segments and an orange colored tuft of hairs on the dorsal side of both 

 the 6th and 7th abdominal segments. 



The pupa is formed either singly or with a few others in one or more 

 curled up leaves, the leaf being loosely drawn together into a very open 

 cocoon of brown silk. The pupa is from 1-2 to 7-12 inches in length and 

 brown in color. The pupal stage lasts about three weeks. 



History of Infestation in Nova Scotia. 



The infestation in Nova Scotia was first uncovered in 1907, the first 

 nest being found by Mr. Perry Foote, of Lakeville, Kings Co., The infes- 

 tation at that time extended from Lakeville, Kings Co., to Deerfield, 

 Yarmouth County, the greatest number being found in the east end of 

 Digby and the west end of Annapolis Counties. At the time of its dis- 

 covery there was considerable speculation as to the methods of intro- 

 duction into the Province. In view of recent developments, particularly 

 the flight of 1913 it seems probable that the Brown-tail was first intro- 

 duced into the Province by a flight, similar to the flight of 1913, some two 

 or three years prior to 1907. 



The following shows the number of nests Brown-tail found in the 

 various years since its discovery in Nova Scotia: 



1906-07 6000 Approximate 



1907-08 4000 



1908-09 800 



1909-10 1496 Actual Count 



1910-11 4362 



1911-12 7707 



1912-13 11054 



1913-14 24156 



1914-15 18154 



