ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF ONTARIO. 



that the air seemed literary filled with them, and in their flight they dashed against 

 pedestrians most unpleasantly. The pavements were almost covered by those which kept 

 •falling to the ground, and at every footstep a most unpleasant crunching of moths was 



"Fig. 20, Male Moth. 

 ( Clisiocampa A rneriea. na. ) 



Fig. 21, Female Moth. 



{Clisiocampa Americana.) 



experienced. Upon illuminated buildings, especially upon shop windows, they fluttered 

 and crawled in myraids, and they dashed into every open window or doorway. The 

 plague lasted for some days, during which an immense number perished in the arc- 

 lamps and in other ways. The tent caterpillars are among those insects but little 

 affected by climatic changes. The clusters of eggs (Fig. 19, c.) encircling the twigs are 

 protected by a waterproof varnish-like secretion, and the caterpillars as soon as hatched 

 proceed to spin the web which serves to protect the colony against the weather's vicissi- 

 tudes, and to some extent from various enemies. Their parasitic enemies, however, are 

 numerous and watchful and find opportunities to infest many of the caterpillars, so that 

 the increase of the species is checked and eventually stopped, and an unusual abundance 

 one year may be followed the next season by a comparative scarcity. 



Dr. Bethune, the Director for Division No. 2, was next called upon to report ; 



NOTES ON THE SEASON OF 1897. 



By the Rev. C. J. S. Bethune, Port Hope. 



Collectors of insects throughout the Provinces of Ontario and Quebec have, with few 

 exceptions, pronounced the season of 1897 an " oflyear " as far as the capoure of speci- 

 mens was concerned. The scarcity of many common species may no doubt be largely 

 attributed to the character of the preceding winter, which was remarkable for its sudden 

 changes from mild weather to extreme cold and the frequent thaws which occurred. 

 These great and rapid alternations of temperature are usually very fatal to any insects 

 "whose winter quarters are , exposed or near the surface of the ground. But not only was 

 the winter a trying one for insect life, the spring was for the most part cold and wet, 

 and summer, coming very late, brought little fine or hot weather ; with the exception of 

 some ten days of intense heat during the early part of July, the season was characterized 

 by a series of heavy rains and frequent storms. Seldom, therefore, has there been a 

 season when the climatic conditions were so unfavorable for the healthy development 

 of most kinds of insects, and seldom a season when the entomologist has had so little to 

 record. 



The most serious outbreak of the year was that of various species of Aphides (Fig. 

 22), which appeared in countless numbers on all kinds of trees and plants, and in many 



cases wrought serious damage. Currant bushes 

 seemed to suffer the most, and before the summer 

 was over had lost all their leaves. Cherry, 

 plum, apple and other fruit trees were injuri- 

 ously affected, and in the flower garden roses, 

 herbaceous plants and annuals were severely 

 attacked. The cool, damp weather that prevailed 

 during the summer was especially favorable to 

 the multiplication of these tiny creatures, and so 

 numerous did they become that in the month 

 of October and on sunny days in November the 

 air was filled with winged specimens to the great 

 discomfort of everyone out of doors and to the 

 especial annoyance of bicyclists, whose eyea 



Fig. 22. Winged and wingless form c of 

 Aphis— much magnified. 



