39 



greed tliese beetles would accumulate considerable pollen on their heads 

 and fore tarsi, and it is probable that some of this was brought in con- 

 tact with the stigmas, but there was every reason to fear that they would 

 devour the liou's share of the golden grains and that the ovules would 

 not receive enough to fertilize them. A few days later I found a con- 

 siderable number of the same beetles at work on an isolated tree on our 

 own place, and as the variety of peach was not very choice, it afforded 

 a good opportunity to test the result of the insect attack. They were 

 accordingly suffered to cut as many anthers as they would. As a 

 matter of fact, this tree, though young, vigorous, and favorably situated, 

 and covered with blossoms in the spring, bore very little fruit, while 

 others of the same variety, on which Orsodachna had not been seen, 

 produced abundantly. Should it become a pest in future years, its 

 habit of dropping to the ground when disturbed would enable fruit- 

 growers to destroy it by jarring it down upon cloths or trays moistened 

 with kerosene. 



The Cottony Maple Scale (Pulvinariainnumerabilis). — The vanguard 

 of the hosts of this pernicious Coccid appeared again in St. Louis dur- 

 ing the past summer upon the trunks and branches of various trees 

 and shrubs in the parks, and in many private grounds, and unless 

 timely attention is given to the matter it will next year prove as annoy- 

 ing and destructive as it was six or seven years ago. 



The Post Oak Coccid (Chennes sp ?). — The clusters of globular female 

 scales of this insect were to be found in the axils of almost every twig 

 and leaf of the Post Oak ( Q. oMusiloba) during the past summer. These, 

 in connection with an undetermined fungous disease, produced a re- 

 markable blighting of the new growth, and in a number of eases seemed 

 to be the cause of the death of the tree. So noticeable was the effect 

 in the forests around Kirk wood that many people contended that it 

 was " locust year," and wondered why we had not noted the shrilling 

 of the Cicada. It was with difficulty that I could make them believe 

 the contrary. 



My attention was not attracted to this insect sufficiently early in the 

 season to enable me to observe its development, and at present the 

 scales contain only a mass of empty shells or skins. No guest insects 

 were bred from them during the season. 



The White-marked Tussuck-moth (Orgyia leueostigma). — The larvae of 

 this insect were very destructive to the foliage of Willow, Walnut, Chest- 

 nut, Maple, and some other shade trees of the streets and parks of St. 

 Louis, as well as to Apple and Plum in private grounds, but I noted in 

 it a habit which will (or might) enable those suffering from its ravages 

 to destroy a large proportion of the eggs, namely, the trapping of a 

 great number of the caterpillars as they were seeking a hiding place 

 in which to spin, by the cotton bands with which so many of the trees 

 that shade the sidewalks are encircled. Some of these bands that I 

 have examined have been quite crowded with the chrysalids and egg- 



