.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 



221 



brown tail moth, which is also present at Maiden, and Prof. Fernald, in a 

 paper read before the Association, gave a very interesting description of 

 the way in which, during the Summer of 1897, this moth has spread over 

 a considerable extent of territory. This spread is charged to a very 

 heavy gale, lasting 2 or 3 days, which occurred exactly at the time when 

 the moths were mating and most active, and the result of this distribution 

 is a number of isolated colonies, which will be very difficult to discover 

 for some time to come. The work of destroying this insect has also been 

 saddled upon the Gypsy Moth Committee ; but without increasing the 

 means at their command for doing it. If the writer may be allowed an 

 opinion, this brown-tail moth is apt to prove considerably more trouble- 

 some than the other imported pest. We have here a female that flies 

 quite readily, and while the flight is not usually a very long one, still 

 even a moderate wind may carry an impregnated female a considerable 

 distance from the original colony, and this may result in the establishment 

 of so many centres that are almost impossible to discover, that dealing 

 with the insect by State authority will have to be abandoned. There is 

 quite enough difference between these two species, the brown-tail and 

 the gypsy moth, to change the prognosis on the question of extermination. 



Appropos of this same general matter, Mr. A. H. Kirkland gave some 

 account of experiments with insecticides against the larva of these two 

 moths. Practically the Committee is relying upon arsenate of lead as the 

 most satisfactory insecticide, and their apparatus for and applying, leaves 

 very little to be desired. 



One session was held jointly with the Society for the Promotion of Agri- 

 culture, at which entomological papers of general interest were presented. 

 An interesting paper from Mr. F. M. Webster was read by the Secretary, 

 its writer being unfortunately absent. It dealt with the question of the San 

 Jose scaie in Ohio, and its general conclusions were decidedly encourag- 

 ing. Mr. Webster has found that, practically, the whale oil soap is the 

 most satisfactory remedial measure, and that in peach orchards it has had 

 a double effect, not only killing the scale, but also preventing leaf curl, 

 which during the early part of 1898 was so wonderfully prevalent. 



Mr. C. M. Weed recounted some very interesting observations on the 

 food of the song sparrow, the object being not so much to discover the 

 character of the food, but the number of times that the parent birds 

 carried it to the young. Nothing could be better calculated to bring out 

 the importance of birds in controlling insects than observations of this 

 kind, which indicated that an enormous number of insects were required 

 to bring up a brood of even small birds. 



The writer of this note presented some thoughts on the question of 

 quarantine against injurious insects, and how far it could be effective. It 

 was pointed out that while it might be easily possible to exclude certain 

 definite known species, a general attempt to exclude all insects that 

 might become troublesome would be impractical. It was also pointed 

 out that if the law provided for certificates to be given by entomologists 

 of foreign countries there would be practically no protection, because of 

 the number of insects that would necessarily escape observation made on 

 growing stock only. 



