8o NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



undertaken work of destruction by means of parasites. Thousands 

 of these beneficial parasites have been brought into this country, 

 taken to the laboratory at Saugus, reared to maturity, the dangerous 

 hyperparasites destroyed and the beneficial forms liberated under 

 conditions favorable to their multiplication. Our investigations 

 showed that certain of these European enemies had survived the 

 winter and that there is at least a fair prospect of considerable 

 benefit resulting from this systematic importation of natural enemies. 

 The general situation is distinctly more encouraging than was the 

 case last year. A general campaign of repression has been con- 

 ducted most vigorously and the beneficial result therefrom is easily 

 seen in Boston and vicinity. Furthermore, the Federal Department 

 of Agriculture is cooperating with the Massachusetts authorities in 

 an effort to prevent the further spread of the gipsy moth in partic- 

 ular. This latter phase of the work consists largely in keeping all 

 highways free from caterpillars, so as to make it impossible for 

 automobiles to carry these leaf feeders into uninfested regions. The 

 gipsy moth is being combated strenuously in Rhode Island and 

 Connecticut and there is a very strong probability that the few 

 insects in the last named state will be speedily exterminated. 



Forest insects. There were two outbreaks the past season of 

 exceptional interest. The striped maple worm, Anisota rubi- 

 cund a Fabr. was very abundant on sugar maples in Berlin and 

 Stephentown, Rensselaer co., stripping the leaves from liarge blocks 

 of forest and proving injurious over hundreds of acres. The 

 snow-white linden moth, Ennomos subsignarius Hiibn. 

 was extraordinarily abundant on beech trees in th^ Catskills, de- 

 fohating large areas in and about the township of Hardenburgh. 

 Both of these outbreaks are unusual, as neither of these species has 

 been injurious in New York State for some years. Detailed 

 accounts of these insects have been prepared and will be published 

 in the Entomologist's report. 



Aquatic insects. The studies of our fresh-water insects have 

 been continued. Dr James G. Needham has completed his report 

 on the work done at Old Forge, N. Y. in 1905, and it will be pub- 

 lished as an appendix to the Entomologist's report. The mono- 

 graph on the Stone flies (Plecoptera) begun by Dr Needham several 

 years ago, is nearly completed and will prove an addition to our 

 knowledge of this group. Dr Cornelius Betten, who has been study- 

 ing the Caddis flies (Trichoptera) for the past six years, has nearly 

 completed his report upon these forms. The investigations of these 



