Ninth Report of the State Entomologist 437 



ing the fresh spring foliage into a painful and depressing scene, and 

 robbing walks and drives of their natural rural beauty. 



In order to arrest or mitigate, if possible, this evil, the Newton 

 Horticultural Society and the Newton Center Improvement Association 

 prepared and widely distributed a circular illustrating the insect in its 

 several stages, giving a full description of its eggs, and offering prizes 

 for the collection of the egg-belts, to be brought to the Horticultural 

 Society before April 1st. As the result, 175 was distributed in prizes 

 and gratuities amofag the competitors, the first prize of $15 being given 

 to a young lad who presented over 15,000 belts. 



The above effort having effected the destruction, as estimated, of 

 25,000,000 of eggs during the year, the society is encouraged to offer 

 for the 'following year a reward of $1 for every thousand belts brought 

 in, and has invited contributions, that the work may be successfully 

 carried on. 



I would heartily recommend this method for localities in New York 

 ■where the tent-caterpillar has become unusually abundant. Could other 

 of our wide-spread insect pests be controlled by similar means, it would 

 be a wise economy to employ children in the work by the payment of 

 suitable rewards. Unfortunately, few insects offer so vulnerable a 

 point of attack as does the apple-tree tent-caterpillar, in its shining egg- 

 belt on a leafless tree. In cities and villages where the white-marked 

 tussock-moth, Orgyia leucostigma^ frequently strips the elms and 

 horse-chestnuts of their foliage, the devastation for another year could 

 be stayed by offering a certain sum per thousand, or by weight or 

 measure, for the egg-deposit of the moth on its cocoon — so conspic- 

 uous in their snowy whiteness on the trunks and lower branches of 

 trees and beneath window-sills and copings, during the months of 

 August and September, or before they have become dingy from 

 weathering. 



In conclusion, I feel that I owe an apology for the length of my 

 report, and I accordingly offer this : Your president and a number of 

 individual members of the Society have from time to time manifested 

 to me so deep an interest in entomological studies as directly bearing 

 ■upon their pursuits and labors, that I have presumed upon a patient 

 listening to whatever I had to present. The report, certainly, would 

 have been much more brief had it been prepared for any other body 

 than for the intelligent and appreciative membership of this Society, 

 before whom I am always glad to appear and offer my humble tribute. 



Respectfully submitted on behalf of the Committee on Entomology. 



J. A. LINTNER, 



Chairman^ 



