25 



green. Near Providence to-day they were found to be- 

 badly affected with Empusa grylli (a parasitic fungus) ,. 

 probably 50 per cent, being attacked . These diseased 

 worms collect . on the terminal twigs of poke-root, rag- 

 weed, and on the ends and knots of rails, where they die, 

 become swollen, rigid, and finally show the characteristic 

 powdery coating indicating the presence of mature spores^ 

 of the parasite on their skins. The disease will material- 

 ly lessen the numbers of this insect for next year. 



REMEDIAL TREATMENT. 



Tho above prediction proved right, and the insect, 

 thanks to the parasite, has not since been so common. 

 Yet it is still with us, and may at any time become 

 abundant, hence the need of watchfulness. When the- 

 webs are within reach it is possible to destroy them and 

 their occupants by simply applying burning paper. 

 This does some little damage to the twigs, but the tree- 

 suffers less than it would from the worms, and further 

 spread of the insects may be thus checked. When a 

 pump is at hand the worms may be destroyed by spray- 

 ing the infested branches with London purple mixed 

 with wheat flour and water. The poison of this mixture- 

 remains for some time on the leaves so that the destruc- 

 tion of the worms is only a matter of time. 



The Bag-worm. 



[Tliyridopteryx ephemerseformis) . 



This worm is the young (larva) of a moth. It lives in 

 and carries about with it a case made of silk, on the out- 

 side of which it fastens bits of leaves, probably to render 

 its detection less easy to birds and other enemies. One 

 may see these cases all through the winter adhering to 

 the naked twigs of both deciduous and evergreen trees,, 

 the worms having taken the precaution to fasten them 

 there by wrapping the twigs with silk. The case of a 



