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A. LaGrave, State Comptroller. Specimens of infested bark were sent 

 to the writer for examination. From these the insect was at once 

 identified as Gossyparia u/mi Geoffroy, an insect little known in this 

 countrj', but well known in Europe, where it is a serious enemy of the 

 elms in France. 



The following information regarding the history of this insect in this 

 country is taken from the government publication, " Insect Life," (Vol. 

 II, p. 34). The first locality in the United States from which it was 

 recognized was Westchester Co., N. Y.^ in 1884, where it was found 

 on nursery stock in great numbers. n 1887 it was found on the slip- 

 pery elm at Cambridge, Mass. It had been observed in New York 

 City the previous year. In 1888 it was found on ehns on the grounds 

 of the D<;partment of Agriculture at Washington, and soon after on 

 trees in tlie streets of the same city. Up to this time the insect 

 remained unidentified in the American entomological collections, but in 

 1889 more complete material was received by the Division of Ento- 

 mology of the Department of Agriculture, from which the insect was 

 determined to be identical with the elm pest of Europe, (^Gossyparia 

 ulmi) Geoffroy. 



So far as is known, the insect confines its attacks in this country to 

 the elms, but presents some variability in its preferences for the various 

 species of elms in different localities. In Europe, however, it has been 

 found on the alder, from which fact the synonym Gossyparia alni 

 Modier has arisen, the specific name alni being derived from Alnus, 

 the name of the genus of plants to which the alder belongs. 



According to the reports of the observers at the above-mentioned 

 localities, the insect attacks the American elms more vigorously than 

 the introduced European species, and thus it is added to the already 

 long list of immigrant animals and plants that have found in this 

 country conditions more congenial than those of their foreign home. 



THE ATTACK AT CARSON CITY. 



On October igth the writer visited Carson City for the purpose of 

 investigating the attack of the insect at that place. The first tree 

 examined was a white elm, twenty or twenty-five feet high, standing 

 beside the walk on the north of the Capitol, midway between the build- 

 ing and street. Last year this tree was observed to be dying, which 

 fact was even more evident at the time of the present examination, 

 when only the uppermost branches were leaf-bearing. With the aid of 

 a painter's ladder a careful examination of 'the attack of the insect was 

 made. 



Standing on the ground, one could plainly see the characteristic 

 rows and blotches of old insects, which nearly covered the under side 



