THIRD REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR 19:6 6/ 



leaf feeders and their allies has created a great demand for infor- 

 mation along these lines. A number of popular articles have been 

 sent to the local press in various parts of the State, urging the 

 adoption of comprehensive measures for the protection of trees. 

 It is gratifying to state that considerable interest has been aroused 

 and most commendable efforts made to protect the trees. This plan, 

 if carried out, provides for the protection of the trees from year to 

 year — something which we have been advocating for some time, 

 and it is hoped that cities and villages will adopt the measures 

 recommended. A special bulletin, treating of the elm leaf beetle 

 and white marked tussock moth and giving summary accounts of 

 each, has been prepared and will be issued shortly. More extended 

 accounts of these and other insect enemies of shade trees are given 

 in our recent publication on Insects Affecting Park and Woodland 

 Trees [N. Y. State Mus. mem. 8], a quarto work of two volumes 

 comprising about looo pages, illustrated by ^2 plates (20 colored), 

 and over 200 text figures. 



Gipsy and brown tail moths. These two dangerous insects, 

 thoroughly and widely established in eastern New England, have 

 been the objects of considerable attention here. The gipsy moth 

 in particular is a most dangerous leaf feeder and has excited much 

 interest. Owing to the fact that this latter species has been very 

 destructive in eastern Massachusetts and is still extending its range, 

 it w^as deemed wise to distribute in many sections of the State a 

 warning placard briefly describing the insect and the associated 

 brown tail moth. The latter displays a marked preference for fruit 

 trees and is very annoying on account of the intense irritation pro- 

 duced by the urticating hairs of the caterpillar. The placard was 

 supplemented by a bulletin [N. Y. State Mus. bul. 103] giving more 

 detailed information concerning these pests, with the result that 

 many specimens of various insects were sent to the office for deter- 

 mination. The newspapers of the State cooperated most efficientl}' 

 in disseminating information relating to these dangerors forms. 



It is gratifying to state that, so far as we have been able to 

 discover, there is no ground for believing that either the gipsy moth 

 or its destructive associate, the brown tail moth, has become estab- 

 lished anywhere in New York State, though it would not be sur- 

 prising were one or both of them to obtain a foothold in the near 

 future. It is very important that our citizens should know about 

 the gipsy moth in particular and be prepared to suppress the pest 

 upon its first appearance. 



