54 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF ONTARIO. 



In the case of the attack at Toronto, active measures were not adopted until the cater- 

 pillars had almost completed development, and were about to enter the pupa condition. 



Energetic efforts were then put forth to destroy the innumerable cocoons that were 

 soon visible. No doubt thousands of egg masses were destroyed upon the trunks of the 

 trees, in the work of rubbing the bark with a coarse brush. At first a band of adhesive 

 material was painted upon the trunks, and thus many caterpillars were prevented reascend- 

 ing the tree, but as soon as cocoons were discovered, this method was abandoned and that 

 of destroying the cocoons followed. It will be well for those interested to be on the watch 

 the coming season, and if caterpillars appear, at once resort to spraying. During the 

 winter all egg masses should be destroyed as far as possible. 



Dr. Belhune thought that the Society should be congratulated upon being favoured 

 with so valuable a paper as that to which they had just listened. There could hardly 

 have been presented a more complete life-history of these two species of injurious insects 

 and he was sure that its publication in the Annual Report would prove most useful to 

 a large number of readers. He then proceeded to give his experience of the army-worm 

 this year. (See his paper, Notes on Insects of the year 1896, page 5^). At the recent 

 meeting of the American Association of Economic Entomologists held in Buffalo, N. Y., 

 in August last, at which he and Dr. Fletcher had the honor of representing the Society, 

 the army worm formed one of the most conspicuous features among the reports on the 

 season given by many of the members present. Dr. Lintner, State Entomologist of New 

 York, reported its occurrence in forty- eight out of the sixty counties in the state, and 

 considered it the worst insect attack in his experience. Mr. Kirkland stated that it had 

 been very abundant and destructive in Massachussetts, especially to cranberry plants; he 

 estimated the damage done in that state alone at $250,000 at least. In New Jersey, 

 Prof. J. B. Smith had found it numerous in isolated fields, but did not consider that very 

 much damage had been done. Mr. Johnson reported that it was very destructive in 

 Illinois, but its numbers were materially reduced in June, by a fungous or bacterial 

 disease which spread rapidly among them. Prof. Duggar had observed the same thing 

 in Minnesota and considered that the disease was similar to the febrine of sili- worms. 

 Prof. Webster considered that the chinch-bug was the worst insect of the ve*r in Ohio, 

 but the army-worm came second, and was very abundant and destructive. From all this 

 testimony it was evident that the army-worm was wide spread throughout the states 

 adjacent to Ontario ; he did not, however, think that we need dread a very serious out- 

 break next year, as experience taught us that natural enemies so reduced their numbers 

 as to make their ravages insignificant in the year following one of great abundance, 

 nevertheless it would be well to instruct the farmers that their ground should be well 

 cleaned up, and plowed up as far as possible in the fall in order to destroy the hibernat- 

 ing insects. 



The Rev. T. W. Fyles regarded Prof. Panton's paper as a very valuable one to the 

 community, and was personally grateful for the information it contained. He came 

 from England to Canada in 1861, which was an army- worm year, and while visiting a 

 friend at C6te des Neiges took a walk into the country. On his way he noticed a high 

 wall around the college grounds on which was a broad black stripe of tar about three 

 feet from the ground. This struck him as very remarkable, and on asking passers by 

 what it was for, he could get no information. Subsequently he learnt that it was 

 intended as a barrier to keep out the army-worm, and no doubt it proved a very effective 

 check. He thought that a roller might be used with great advantage when the worms 

 were crossing a hard surface, such as a ro*,d or lane. The tussock moth he had not found 

 in Quebec until three years ago, when it became very abundant and the willow-trees were 

 covered with the caterpillars. Another closely allied species, Orgyia nova had always 

 been oommon in that province. 



Mr. Dearness, the President, discussed the question of the migration of the army- 

 worm from marshy lands in dry seasons and mentioned some instances in confirmation of 

 this view. 



