REPORT OF STATE ENTOMOLOGIST, 1898 185 



certain species and if a few mulberry trees are set out their fruit will serve 

 to protect the cherries as the birds are said to eat the mulberries by- 

 preference. Most of the preceding suggestions are taken from a very 

 interesting and practical paper by Mr Forbush (see citation). His 

 many years of experience and close observation of our birds entitle his 

 writings to the highest respect. There is much that can be said in favor 

 of protecting and encouraging our native birds and most farmers will 

 find that a little effort along this line will be very profitable. In under- 

 taking any such work, it will not do to judge entirely by the results 

 obtained in one season. 



As this species breeds from year to year in large numbers on the wild 

 cherry-trees along the roadsides, in fence corners and other uncultivated 

 places, these trees should either be destroyed or else used as lures and 

 heavily sprayed with poison early each spring in order to destroy the 

 numerous caterpillars hatching from their abundant egg belts. It is prob- 

 able that the destruction of the cherry-trees would be the wiser plan, for 

 otherwise they would be too often neglected as is the case at present. If 

 but a few wild cherry-trees were allowed to grow near an orchard and 

 they were well sprayed with poison from year to year or the numerous 

 egg belts removed, it is probable that the tent caterpillars would be found 

 on the apple trees in comparatively small numbers. 



The exhaustive experiments, conducted by Dr Fernald, on the amount 

 of paris greeu necessary to kill this species, show most conclusively that 

 the caterpillars can be readily controlled by spraying with poison. The 

 experiments prove that the larvae in any stage can be killed in two or 

 three days with an application of one pound of paris green in from 300 

 to 400 gallons of water, and that even the extremely dilute mixture of 

 one pound to 1000 gallons is deadlv in two or three weeks after applica- 

 tion. While in practice it will be found best to use paris green at the 

 rate of one pound to 200 or 300 gallons or less, the experiments show 

 that this species is much more sensitive to arsenical poisons than is the 

 case with the gypsy moth, Portfietria dispar Linn., the spring canker 

 worm, Paleacrita vernata Peck, and some other injurious species. In 

 cases where it is desirable to spray the trees early in the spring for the pur- 

 pose of controlling other insects, the same application should be entirely 

 effective in preventing injury by tent caterpillars. 



If for some reason or other, it is not desirable to spray at the proper 

 time to kill this species, recourse may be had either to gathering the egg 

 belts in the winter or early spring and destroying them, or to the destruc- 

 tion of the young when assembled in their recently formed nests. The 



