92 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



to 200, the species being perhaps the least prolific of any we 

 have discussed. The young larvse leave the egg masses late 

 in the spring, after the leaves have developed, feed freely on 

 the foliage, and attain maturity by mid-summer. Their 

 characteristic markings are two plumes of hair directed for- 

 ward on either side of the head and a similar plume point- 

 ing backward from the posterior end of the body, together 

 with a row of short, dense brushes down the upper surface 

 of the body. The caterpillars drop freely from the branches 

 when disturbed, and are carried from place to place by 

 teams and pedestrians. When full grown the larvae spin up 

 in loose, yellow cocoons on the trunks of trees, along fences 

 and in other suitable sheltered places. In two weeks the 

 moths emerge and deposit eggs for a second brood, which is 

 frequently more injurious than the first brood. The moths 

 from this last brood continue to appear until freezing weather 

 sets in. Thus at Somerville, Mass., November 2 of the pres- 

 ent year, the writer found belated female moths of this spe- 

 cies still engaged in the work of egg laying. 



This insect is controlled easily by spraying with arsenical 

 poisons or by the destruction of the egg masses in the fall, 

 winter and spring. Crude creosote oil, uncolored, gives 

 perhaps the best means of killing the eggs. It should be 

 applied by means of a sponge or brush, as in the case of the 

 gypsy moth egg clusters. Where an invasion of the tussock 

 moth has commenced, non -infested trees may be kept free 

 from the swarming caterpillars by the use of stocky bands 

 of raupenleim, bodlime, tar, tree ink, or even cotton bat- 

 ting. On small trees the caterpillars may be jarred off, and 

 the trees banded to prevent reinfestation. The destruction 

 of the cocoons before the moths have emerged is not ad- 

 vised, because of the large numbers of beneficial parasites 

 that breed therein. 



The fall web worm (Hyphantria cunea, Dr.) probably is 

 one of the most general feeders of our insect fauna. Ap- 

 pearing in late summer, it spins its unsightly webs on the 

 tips of branches of almost every kind of a fruit or deciduous 

 shade tree, at once distinguishing itself from the tent cater- 

 pillar, with which it is commonly confounded. The latter 



