REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST I915 75 



series of hydrocarbons as the one under consideration, we would 

 rather expect injury, possibly serious, to develop some tim.e after the 

 treatm.ent, possibly two to three years, much depending upon the 

 species and the age of the tree. There is no question, for example, 

 but that sugar m.aples are much m.ore susceptible to oil applications 

 than m.any other trees, and the c'ata at hand indicate a m.uch greater 

 liability to injury in the case of the younger, thin-barked wood, be it 

 the trunk of a young tree or the branches of older trees. The m.ain 

 point we wish to establish is that oils or oily compounds can not be 

 used with im.punity upon the bark of living trees, and that apparent 

 freedom from, dam.age for a season or two by no m.eans indicates 

 that all danger of injury has passed. 



In this connection we would call attention to the case of two 

 hickory trees which we exam.ined in 191 2. The trunks had been 

 lightly coated with gas tar Septem.ber 3d or 4th of that year for the 

 purpose of determ.ining its value in protecting the trees from invasion 

 by the hickory bark beetle. Under date of October 22, 19 14 we were 

 inform.ed that the trees had died and had been cut out in spite of 

 the fact that prior to treatm.ent they were two of the best trees on 

 the estate. Others within 25 feet of those tarred were still in 

 excellent condition, indicating that gas tar as well as certain oily 

 com.pounds are inimical to the welfare of forest trees. 



NOTES FOR THE YEAR 



The depredations of the apple tent caterpillar, Malacosoma 

 americana Fabr., have been severe in many localities, though 

 the injury was not so general as in the preceding two years. The 

 forest tent caterpillar, Malacosom_a disstria Hiibn., was 

 also locally abundant and destructive, particularly in certain parts 

 of Long Island. 



There have been records during the last few years, of extended 

 flights by the cotton m.oth, Alabam. a argillacea Hiibn., 

 a species unable to m.aintain itself in the north. It is interesting 

 to record, in this connection, the capture of a specim.en at Albany 

 November 3d, on a cool day following two moderately warm ones. 

 The m.oth was som.ewhat torpid but otherwise seem.ed uninjured. 



A noteworthy capture of another southern species, the giant 

 Erebus odora Linn., m.erits more than passing m.ention because 

 twenty years have elapsed since a specimen of this insect was brought 

 into the office. The species is recorded as being abundant in southern 

 Florida and the warm.er portions of the Gulf States. 



