40 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



insect, as experience has shown, is more or less local in its opera- 

 tions and general predictions regarding its work are in most cases 

 rather hazardous. 



Shade tree problem. This phase of practical entomology has 

 made considerable demands upon our time in the last few years. 

 This has been due in large part to extensive defoliations of street 

 and park trees in many cities and villages of the State by the white 

 marked tussock moth, a species which rarely occurs in destructive 

 numbers outside of municipalities and villages, and one easily con- 

 trolled by intelligent effort. The elm leaf beetle has been par- 

 ticularly destructive in the Hudson valley and has become estab- 

 lished in cities and villages in other portions of the State. The 

 work of these leaf feeders and their allies has created a great demand 

 for information 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. The city of 

 Albany, in its budget for 1907, has made provision for the employ- 

 ment of a forester who will be charged with the general care of 

 the trees. This plan, if carried out, provides for the protection of 

 the trees from year to year — something which we have been advo- 

 cating for some time. This is by far the most satisfactory way to 

 care *for street and park trees and we hope soon to see other cities 

 and many villages adopting the same method. 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 1000 pages, illus- 

 trated by 72 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 at our hands. 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 was deemed wise to distribute in many sections of the 

 State a warning placard briefly describing the insect and the asso- 

 ciated brown tail moth. This latter displays a marked preference 



