37 



History in New York State. — Among the first to write about 

 the ravages of the forest tent-caterpillar in this State was Dr. Asa 

 Fitch, our first State Entomologist. There are no indications in 

 his writings that the insect was considered of especial economic 

 importance in this State during the first half of the present century. 

 He refers to it but twice in his fourteen reports. The first 

 reference* was in 1856 in which he states that ' ' here at the north this 

 insect is far less common than the other species ' ' (the apple-tree 

 tent-caterpillar, C. americana). In this report and later' he 

 considers it a serious pest to the oak, but otherwise of ho especial 

 economic importance. 



One of the earliest outbreaks in the State of which there is a 

 record was in Western New York in 1866 and 1867 when the 

 caterpillars occnred in great numbers upon the foliage of both 

 forest and fruit trees. In 1886 Dr. J. A. lyintner", second State 

 Entomologist of this State, referred to their serious depredations in 

 apple orchards in some sections of the State. During the past ten 

 years this insect has attracted much more attention than at any 

 time previous. Dr. Lintner" recorded the appearance of the cater- 

 pillars in great numbers in Washington Co., in 1889-90. They 

 were especially destructive to maple trees. Again in 1893 he 

 referred to their ravages in the apple orchards in certain sections of 

 the State. During 1896 and 1897 the caterpillars were abundant 

 throughout the Central and Northeastern part of the State and dur- 

 ing the two following years there were several important out- 

 breaks in some of the timbered sections. 



THE RECENT OUTBREAK IN THIS STATE. 



Its extent. — Although as previously indicated the forest tent- 

 caterpillar is far from being a new comer in the State we are 

 unable to find any records which indicate that it has ever before 

 occurred in such great numbers over so wide an area within our 

 borders. To ascertain approximately the extent of the outbreak, 



'Fitch. Second Report on the Insects of New York. 1856, pp. 198, 199. 

 'Pitch. Fifth Report on the Insects of New York. 1859, pp. 820, 822. 

 "Lintner, J. A. Third Report, pp. gt, 93 ; New England Homestead, 

 20: 229. 

 " Lintner, J. A. Sixth Report, p. 106. 



