ENTOMOLOGIST AND BOTANIST. 



265 



plentiful in Vii-ginia as to strip the Oak-trees 

 bare." The destruction it caused in some of the 

 Eastern States in 18G6 and 1867 is sufficient to 

 decide this question ; but there is every reason 

 (o believe that in the South and West its injuries 

 are of still vaster extent. "We published last 

 month (p. 245) an account of its injuries at Des 

 Arc, Arkansas, and for the past two years it has 

 been quite destructive both to forest and orchard 

 (r(*s, in many parts of Missouri. In the Oak 

 limber these worms prefer trees of the lUack Oak 

 group, and will seldom touch tlic White Oak in 

 bodies, though when scattered amoiii;- the other 

 kinds, they attack it also. 



AKTIFICIAL REMEDIES. 



From the time they are born till after the tliird 

 moult these worms will drop and suspend them- 

 selves mid-air, if the branch upon wliich they 

 are feeding be suddenly jarred. Therefore when 

 ( hey have been allowed to multiply in an orchard 

 this habit will suggest various modes of destroy- 

 ing them. Again, as already stated, they can often 

 ))(' slaughtered eii masse when collected on the 

 trunks during the last moulting period. They 

 ^\ill more generally be found on the leeward 

 side of the tree if the wind has been blowing in 

 the same direction for a few days. The cocoons 

 ma)' also be searched for, and many of the moths 

 caught by attracting them towards the light. 

 But preiiminently the most effective artificial 

 mode of preventing this insect's injuries is to 

 search for and destroy the egg-raasses in the 

 winter time when the trees are leafless. Not 

 only is this course the more efKcient because it 

 i« more easily pursued, and nips the evil in 

 the bud, but for the reason tliat, in destroying 

 the eggs only, we in a great measure evade 

 killing, and cousequenlly coiiperate with, the 

 natural parasites presently to be mentioned, 

 which infest the worms themselves. A pair of 

 pruning shears attached to the end of a pole, 

 and operated by a cord, will be found very 

 useful in clipping oft' the eggs; or, as recom- 

 mended by Mr. Ferris, a more simple instru- 

 ment may be made by fastening a piece of an 

 old scythe to a pole. If the scythe is kept sharp, 

 the twigs may very haiuiily be clipped with this 

 instrument. Tarred bandages, or any of the 

 many remedies used to prevent the female Can- 

 ker-worm from ascending trees, can only be 

 useful with the Forest Tent-caterpillar when it 

 is intended to temporarily protect an uninfested 

 tree from the straggling worms which may travel 

 from surrounding trees. 



NATURAL REMEDIES. 



It is always wise to cooperate, whenever we 

 can, with our little friends among the Bugs, and 



it is consequently very necessary to be acquaint- 

 ed with them. It happens, fortunately, that 

 we have several which aid us in keeping the 

 Tent-caterpillar of the Forest in check, and in 

 the natural forest we must (rust entirely to 

 these auxiliaries, as the mechanical means that 

 can profitably be employed in a moderate sized 

 orchard are impracticable in broad extents of 

 timber. Indeed, these cannibals and parasites 

 do their work so effectually that this caterpillar 

 is seldom exceedingly numerous for more than 

 two successive years in one locality. It pre- 

 vails suddenly in great numbers, and again is 

 scarcely noticed for years, very mucli as is the 

 case with the true Army-worm. Thus, after 

 attracting such general attention in 18G7 in 

 many parts of the East, it has scaiccly been 

 noticed since. This is its liistory everywhere, 

 and we may reasonably hope that in those parts 

 of the West where it has been cutting such a 

 figure the present summer, it will suddenly be 

 so subdued as not to be noticed for some years 

 to come. Its undue increase but combines the 

 assaults of its enemies, until they multiply so 

 as to gain the ascendency. Then, from insuffi- 

 ciency of food these enemies suddenly decrease 

 in numbers, and their natural prey has a chance 

 to increase again. And so it goes on in the 

 "Struggle for Life," and in the great compli- 

 cated net-work in which every animal organism 

 is involved: a check here and a check there, 

 and no one of all the myriad forms allowed to 

 keep the ascendency beyond a limited time. 

 The most efficient cannibal insects in checking 

 the increase of this Forest Caterpillar, are the 

 larger Cronnd-beetlcs belonging to the genus 



Colosoma. These beetles will pounce upon the 

 worms with astonishing greed, and are especially 

 prone to attack them when helplessly collected 

 together during the moulting periods. The 

 Rummaging Ground Beetle (Colosoma scruta- 

 tor, Fabr.), which every one will recognize from 



