1B38. HOUSE— No. 72. 93 



From ihe regularity of its form and noble size, the sugar maple is 

 accounted one of the most beautiful, while, from its many useful 

 properties, it is esteemed one of the most valuable of our forest trees. 

 This fine tree suffers much by the attacks of a borer belonging to 

 the genus Clytus, which in some cases produces its entire destruc- 

 tion. 



The genus Clytus is characterized by having the head nutant ; the 

 body flattened ; the thorax globose, or orbicular, and convex, with- 

 out spines or tubercles ; the antennae usually shorter than the body ; 

 and the palpi or feelers terminated by a triangular joint. 



The species which has been discovered in the sugar maple, is the 

 Clytus speciosus, scientifically described by Mr. Say, and accurately 

 represented by the pencil of Lesueur, in the American Entomology. 

 But for its habits we are indebted to the investigations of the Rev. 

 L. W, Leonard, of Dublin, N. H. In the summer of 1S28, he 

 discovered the perfect insect under the loosened bark of some young 

 maples in Keene, and traced the recent track of the larva three 

 inches into the solid wood. These trees, on the cultivation of which 

 much care had been bestowed, were nearly destroyed by this large 

 insect. Specimens of the perfect insect have been repeatedly cap- 

 tured in the vicinity of Boston, which were undoubtedly brought 

 here in maple logs from the State of Maine. They have been taken 

 in the month of July. 



Many species of Clytus are found during the day upon flowers, 

 and do not therefore seem to be nocturnal insects. During the 

 month of September, Clytus pictus is often seen in abundance, feed- 

 ing upon the blossoms of the golden-rod. If the trunks of our com- 

 mon locust tree, Robinia preud-acacia, are examined at this time, a 

 still greater number of these insects will be found upon them, and 

 most often paired. The habits of this insect seem to have been 

 known, as long ago as the year 1771, to Dr. John Reinholdt Fors- 

 ter, who then described it under the name of Leptura Robinicc, the 

 latter being derived from the tree which it inhabits. Drury, howev- 

 er, had previously described and figured it under the specific name 

 which I have adopted, and which, having the priority, in point of 

 time, over all the others which have subsequently been imposed, must 

 be retained. The female deposits her eggs in the crevices of the 



