3l6 XEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



prevalent in the vicinity of Albany, that parties desirous of collecting 

 the leaves for medicinal purposes experienced great difficult)- in findino- 

 uninjured ones. A similar condition obtained over a considerable portion 

 of Massachusetts. This attack is by no means unprecedented, though it is 

 of more than usual interest on account of the large territory involved. 

 This species was reported to Dr Lintner as very prevalent about Scotts- 

 ville, Monroe co. in 1886, and in 1891 it seriously injured birches about 

 Ausable Forks X. V. Dr James Fletcher, entomologist of the Central 

 Experimental Farms, Ottawa Can., stated in 1892, that for the previous 

 three years birches of all kinds in the vicinity of Ottawa had been severely 

 damaged l3\- this insect. Dr Packard calls attention to the general occur- 

 rence of this species in Providence R. I., antl in adjoining portions of 

 Massachusetts, during the same year. 



Description. The delicate little moth has been described by Dr 

 Fletcher as follows. 



Moth small, wings expanding o g of an inch. General color, bright 

 brown, the wings crossed with silvery white bars, three of these run from 

 the outer edge about half way across the wings obliquely towards the apex, 

 and there two shorter subtriangular blotches on the inner margin of each 

 forewing. These latter, when the wings are closed, form two white dorsal 

 saddles, ^the anterior of which is slightly the larger, and is followed closely 

 by a tuft of raised black scales. At the extrernities of the forewings are 

 also several raised black scales, a few of which are separated into an apical 

 spot- by an irregular narrow white band. The cilia of the fringes are pale 

 brown. Head white; frontal tuft dark brown in the center; antennae 

 brown, slender, about 1 8 of an inch long. Thorax brown with margins 

 including the bases of the forewings, white. Leg and body pale fuscous, 

 silvery. 



The full grown caterpillars measure less than I4 inch long, are very 

 slender in form and tajjer considerably at each extremity. Deep incisions 

 divide the bc)d\ into well marked, rounded segments. The head is long, 

 slightly bilobed, and of a pale brown color, body light green or yellowish 

 green and bears short hairs on small tubercles. The caterpillar walks 

 slowl\-, and when disturbed, drops from the leaf and suspends itself by a 

 thread. The molting cocoon has been described by Dr Packard as being 



