Ninth Report of the State Entomologist 377 



<3au8e and a cure for the attack. I have among the same group of 

 trees white pine, balsam fir, red cedar, Scotch pine and Norway spruce, 

 none of which are affected. A. F. 



Mastic, Moriches P. O., N. Y. 



The twigs, of which an ample number were sent with the first com- 

 munication (received about the middle of September) did not at the 

 first glance show serious injury. Upon closer examination, however, 

 the tips of many of the leaves were found to be dead, shriveled, and 

 brown. A large number were marked with small brown spots, which in 

 some instances showed a depression or seeming puncture, while a few 

 of the leaves were broAvn and dead for most of their extent. At the 

 end of the twigs among the bases of the leaves, pitch had exuded to 

 an extent, presenting the appearance of an inflorescence, and clearly 

 indicating some abnormal state. 



As the cause of the condition was not apparent on a cursory inspec- 

 tion, a careful microscopic examination was made in order to detect, if 

 present, the suspected attack of some gall-mite, of the family of Phytop- 

 tidte — such as are being found to infest many of our trees, both decidu- 

 ous and evergreen, in their buds and leaves — one of which was noticed 

 in the Country Gentleman of October 2d, under the heading of the 

 *' Pear Leaf Blister." None could be found, nor any indication, through 

 ^xnviie or eggs, of their previous occurrence. A few quite small 

 insects of a different group were seen ruaning rapidly over the leaves, 

 but no part of the injury could be charged upon them. Several exam- 

 ples of a minute, black, shining thrips were detected upon the leaves 

 and within the basal sheaths, but these, also, were at least harmless, 

 and may possibly have been beneficial, as many of the species are 

 believed to be of carnivorous habits. A few examples of a white scale- 

 insect, Chionaspis piriifolim (Fitch), occurred upon the leaves, but 

 their number was by far too small to have occasioned any serious 

 injury.* 



In the inability to detect insect injury, the twigs were submitted to 

 the State Botanist, Prof. Peck, for examination for fungus attack. 

 The brown spots and browned tips were carefully examined under a 

 high power, but no fungoid injury could be discovered, except in the 

 dead tips received from Mastic. In these, however, the fungus 

 observed had evidently followed their death, and could not have been 

 its cause. 



*This pernicious scale has for some time been present in immense numbers on the Austrian 

 pines in Washington Park, Albany, overspreading and whitening the surface of the leaves, and 

 causing the death of a number of the trees, and a greatly impaired condition of others. On the 

 worse infested trees from 100 to 200 scales could be counted on a single leaf. 



1893. 48 



