ENTOMOLOGY 289 



which the masses are attached and destroying them. This, how- 

 ever, involves a loss of a part of the tree and for this reason it is 

 preferable, where possible, to spray with arsenicals when the 

 young caterpillars are known to be emerging. This occurs during 

 the month of June. 



The Bag or Basket Worm. Insects of the class to which the 

 one under present consideration belongs, derive their popular name 

 from the curious bag or basket which is constructed during the 

 larval stage. Soon after the larva is hatched it constructs for itself 

 a silken sack, smooth inside, while to the outside are attached por- 

 tions of bark, leaf tissue, leaf petioles, etc. From the open end of 

 the bag the larva protrudes its head and fore legs, and thus walks 

 about at will, dragging its home with it. To one unaccustomed to 

 the sight it is indeed a surprise when the curious semi-shapely 

 bundle of trash that has attracted his attention, suddenly develops 

 life and moves away. 



As the enclosed larva grows, the bag is enlarged from time 

 to time by additions to the open end. Upon reaching maturity the 

 larva binds its case to a limb and pupates. At the end of the pupal 

 stage the males emerge and fly about, while the females, being 

 wingless, oviposit within their old cases and afterwards wriggle out 

 to fall upon the ground and die. The winter is passed in the egg 

 stage. 



Probably the simplest and most effective of the methods to be 

 used in combating this pest is the collecting of the conspicuous 

 bags during the winter, thus destroying the eggs; followed by the 

 application of mechanical barriers placed around the trunk of the 

 tree, to prevent it from being reinfested by larvae wandering from 

 other sources. Another remedy applicable during the summer sea- 

 son when the larvae are feeding is spraying with arsenicals. 



The Brown Tail Moth. This species occurs only in the New 

 England States at present, but unless something unforeseen hap- 

 pens it will be only a matter of time until it spreads. The insect 

 has two features peculiar to it which render its separation from 

 other insects comparatively easy. The first is the presence of a tuft 

 of brown hair on the tips of the abdomens of the moths of both 

 sexes, and the second is the position in which the webs are spun, 

 namely, upon the tips of the branches. 



The female moth is white in color with the exception of the 

 brown marking already described, and measures 1% inches across 

 her spread wings. The male is smaller, having a wing expanse of 

 114 inches, and the general white of the wings is broken with a few 

 black spots. The brown tuft on the abdomen is smaller and darker 

 in color than that of the female. The moths fly during July, and 

 during this season the eggs are deposited in masses on the under 

 sides of the leaves. From 200 to 300 are clustered together and are 

 then covered with the brown hairs from the tip of the abdomen of the 

 female. 



Upon hatching, the young feed gregariously upon the surface 

 of the leaf, spinning a covering web as they go. They soon begin 



