ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



87 



the whale-oil soap solution mentioned above, followed by high culture and good horticul- 

 tural treatment of the trees. 



Fig. 51. 



NOTES ON INSECTS OF THE YEAR DIVISION NO. I., OTTAWA DISTRICT. 



By W. Hague Harrington, Ottawa. 

 The first insect to attract attention in the spring was the larva of the little Arctian 

 Phragmatobia rubricosa, Har., the fuscous little woolly bears of which may be found 

 scurrying over the snow in day time or coiled up in some small depression where they 

 had rested from their wanderings of the day before. On bright days in April, Aphodius 

 prodromus, Brahm, filled the air. This species has only been noticed at Ottawa for the 

 last four or five years, but is now as common as Aphodius inquinatus, Hbst. 



Cutworms. — The Black Army worm (Noctua fennica, Tausch.) was abundant in some 

 localities as near Hull, Quebec, and on the Central Experimental Farm, attacking 

 many plants, but especially clover and peas in fields, and also doing much harm in gar- 

 dens as a cutworm. This is an early developing species which is full-fed about the end 

 of May, and consequently plays great havoc in beds of young seedlings of early vege- 

 tables, sometimes cutting off as many as six or eight peas, or mowing down eight or ten 

 inches along a row of onions or carrots in a night. Occurring with this caterpillar, as 

 cutworms in gardens, were the larvse of the White Cutworm (Carneades scandens, Riley), 

 uncommon at Ottawa, and our commonest cutworm. The Red-backed Outworm (Carnea- 

 des ochrog aster, G-n.). These caused considerable loss in gardens among young veget- 

 ables and seedlings of flowers. This latter is also a large species when full-grown ; but 

 as the eggs laid the previous autumn do not hatch till the following spring the caterpil- 

 lars do not become full-fed till much later in the season than the Black Army worm and 

 the White cutworm, both of which pass the winter half-grown. For some reason the 

 White Outworm did not revive from hibernation last year till much later than many 

 ther cutworms. Poisoning with traps made of bundles of weeds, grass, or clover dipped 



