100 THE REPORT OF THE [1» 



that with the knowledge acquired, better results may follow renewed efforts next season. 

 There are species of Hydrcecia taken here whose food plants are not yet knowD, and a 

 knowledge of which is of sufficient importance to warrant an expenditure of time and 

 labor in an effort to try and discover them. But, as Mr. Bird has remarked, more spe- 

 cies may be found in that way whose presence was never seen or suspected in that 

 locality. 



During the past five or six years the ornamental Birch trees of this city have been 

 showing signs of being affected by some disease ; indeed, several large and much valued 

 trees have died outright during that time, The preliminary symptoms are a weakening 

 of the growth, and a thinning of the leaves at the apex of the tree, which gradually 

 spreads downwards until the whole tree is affected and gives up its life. I have thought 

 that it might result from the work of borers, and I have taken Clytanthus ruricola and 

 Agrilus bilineatus on the trees, and have seen many holes in the trees out of which such 

 beetles might have come, — with Woodpeckers' work conspicuous and abundant. And 

 yet, if they are to blame, it does appear strange that the trees should be affected in that 

 particular way ; unless the borers are more numerous at the top than they are at the base 

 of the tree. 



A few important additions have been made during the past season to the Society's 

 collection of native lepidoptera ; amongst them are the following : 



Orthosia helva, Grote. A species which I have had the impression for many years 

 should be classed as Canadian, but could get no authentic record of its capture in Canada, 

 until last summer, when Mr. H. S. Saunders of London took it at Ottawa, and presented 

 a specimen to the Society. 



Aglossa cuprealis, Hub. Taken at light by Mr. Bice. 



Hydrcecia furcata, Smith. This was a capture made by Mr. C. G. Anderson several 

 years ago. I regarded it as a badly faded specimen of some common form ; but when seen 

 by Dr. J. B. Smith, he informed me that the color was normal, and that it was really a 

 very good species. 



Hydrcecia stramentosa, Guenee. This is a species that has been regarded by Canadian 

 collectors for the past thirty years as belonging to our fauna, and was placed in our label 

 list as snch ; but all inquiries on my part failed to elicit any information concerning it, 

 until I began to suspect that there had been a mistake made somewhere. Recently, 

 whilst engaged in naming some material for Mr. Dwight Brainerd, of Montreal, a differ- 

 ence of opinion arose between us about the correct name of a Hydrcecia, which was settled 

 by Dr, J. B. Smith in his favor. Then Mr. Brainerd sent me a second specimen of the 

 disputed form, and with it another Hydrcecia, which he said he took at Montreal in num- 

 bers every season, and which was known to them as Stramentosa. And there, sure 

 enough, was the long lost and much desired species, which had ' been kept out of sight, 

 and from public knowledge through all these many years. This I regarded as the prize 

 of the season. 



NOTES ON THE SEASON OF 1899. 



By Rev. C. J. S. Bethune, London, Ont. 



The writer's opportunities of collecting and observing insects have been very limited 

 this year owing to his removal from Port Hope to London in the middle of the summer. 

 No one, however, could fail to observe the enormous abundance of Tent Caterpillars 

 (Clisiocampa) and the amount of damage inflicted by them on the foliage of fruit and forest 

 trees. From every part of the Province they were reported to be similarly abundant, 

 though in many places much more destructive than in others. In the neighbourhood of 

 Port Hope the " Forest " species (C. disstria) was not particularly noticeable and did not 

 cause any injury worth mentioning ; but the "Apple tree " species (C. Americana) was 

 very abundant and destructive to foliage of fruit trees in gardens and orchards, especially 



