THE PINE INVESTIGATION. 293 



per cent, of the forest timber having died, or was then dying. 

 There was, however a large amount of white pine which had 

 not been invaded. 



In all of the dead and dying spruce and pine trees examined 

 during this investigation, the same conditions were found as 

 those observed in the pine forests of Hampshire, Hardy and 

 Pendleton Counties, during the previous May, and the con- 

 clusions arrived at then were abundantly verified ; namely, 

 that the death of the trees was the result of a primary attack 

 by the destructive pine bark beetle, which richly deserves the 

 common name I had given it, although it had proven to be 

 destructive to the spruce as well. 



The following extracts from an article prepared by the writer 

 and published in Science, Vol. XX, 1892, p. 64., soon after my 

 return from the investigation just mentioned, will give some 

 additional information with reference to the habits of this de- 

 structive bark beetle and its principle allies, as had been 

 determined up to the date the article was written. 



EXTRACT FROM ARTICLE IN SCIENCE. 



* * * It has been claimed that Scolytids never attack healthy, living trees. 

 We acknowledge that as a rule the different species of this family have a 

 preference for unhealthy trees or those which have been broken by storm 

 or felled by the ax, but in this species (Dendroctonus frontalis] we cer- 

 tainly have an exception to the rule. From the abundant evidence I have 

 obtained during the extended and careful investigation, I am convinced 

 that the death of large and small, vigorous trees of five species of pine and 

 of the black spruce was caused primarily by the attack of this insect. In 

 fact, this species seems to have a preference for the green bark on the 

 living pine and spruce which they invade. 



As Entomoligist of this Station, I have conducted some investigations 

 regarding the ravages of this beetle, and, since May 2d of this year, have 

 traveled about 340 miles through some of the principal regions of the State 

 where the pine and spruce are most common. The species of pine ob- 

 served were the White Pine (Pinus alba) - [P. strobus] The Yellow Pine 

 (P. echinata) ,th^ Pitch Pine (P. rigida), the Table Mountain Pine, (P. pun- 

 gens), and the Common Scrub Pine (P. inops) ( Virginiana) and also the 

 Black Spruce (Picea mariana) which is a common and valuable tree on 

 some 500,000 acres of the higher mountains and tablelands of this State. 



Trees varying from five inches in diameter to the largest, finest speci- 

 mens of the five species of pine mentioned, and of the black spruce, were 

 found dying in different sections from a cause which it was my duty to 

 investigate. A large number of the dead, dying, and living trees were 

 felled and examined. Every part of the trees from the roots near the sur- 

 face to the terminal twigs and leaves was carefully searched for possible 

 causes of their unhealthy condition. The trees in the bast condition to 

 examine were those on which the leaves \yare yet green, b,ut frqrn. their 



