• 41 



many of them in Europe not to know them at sight With this second 

 reported presence of this insect in beet fields at this one locality it 

 begins t<> appear that perhaps, alter all, it is present in America. 



CHINCH-BUG NOG ES. 



While this insect has not been general over the State, it has begun 



to increase in such numbers in some of the counties along our southern 

 boundary as to cause an uneasy feeling among the farmers of the sec- 

 tion in question. Several letters have been received from different 

 individuals in the counties Of Nuckolls, Franklin, and Fillmore, asking 

 for aid in the suppressing of this insect, which, as their letters stated, 

 was becoming quite numerous and was threatening the fall wheat. 

 They all asked for diseased bugs with which "to innoculate the healthy 

 ones" in their respective neighborhoods. These letters were received 

 during the latter part of September. Heavy rains have fallen in the 

 region since, and nothing further concerning the bugs has been heard. 



MISCELLANEOUS INSECTS. 



Aside from the damage to beets by web-worms, the most marked 

 injury done by insect pests in Nebraska during the season which has 

 just come to a close was due to the presence of several species of cater- 

 pillars and saw-fly larvae. Some of these have been excessively numer- 

 ous in portions of the State, where they did great injury to the trees 

 attacked. Some of these "were the tent caterpillars, Fall Web- worm, 

 the Walnut Datana, Cecropia larva, Green-striped Maple-worm, Tus- 

 sock Moth, the Ash-tree Sphinx, Gcelodasys unicornis, and a specif- of 

 Lyda (?) that worked upon the wild and tame plums. The Pear-tree 

 Saw-fly also made its appearance within the State and did some injury 

 to trees growing near Norfolk, in Madison County. 



In towns and cities the caterpillar pest appears to be greatly on the 

 increase, and it is next to impossible to impress upon the authorities 

 the necessity for taking decisive steps toward their destruction The 

 comparative absence of insectivorous birds and of predaceous and para- 

 sitic insects is the cause for their increase. These latter are kept don n 

 by the burning of rubbish and other refuse under which they hide and 

 spend their winters. 



