12 



there seems to be but one method of subduing it, and that is to starve it out by ceasing 

 to grow clover for a year or two, a large proportion of the larvae may be destroyed by 

 cutting the clover earlier than usual, just as it is coming into bloom, when being only 

 partially developed most of them would perish. The greater danger arises from the 

 possibility of their being distributed by the use of infested clover seed. The insect passes 

 the winter either in the larval or pupal state, and in both of these conditions is often 

 found amongst clover seed, and if sown with the seed the insect is placed amid conditions 

 most favourable for its development. Seedsmen should carefully examine their seed be- 

 fore offering it for sale, and farmers should exercise similar caution before purchasing. 

 The insects are very small but are much larger than the individual seeds, and if a small 

 quantity of the clover seed is passed through a fine sieve these insects, if present, will be 

 found along with the coarser weed seeds with which clover seed is so often contaminated. 



The maple Egerian known also as " the legged maple borer " jEqeria acerni has pre- 

 vailed during the past year in the neighbourhood of London to an alarming extent, to the 

 serious injury of some of our shade trees. These insects which pass the winter in the 

 larval state under the bark of the maple trees change to chrysalids early in June, and 

 about the middle of that month they protrude themselves from the bark to the extent of 

 about half an inch, when in a very short time the mature insect escapes, leaving the 

 empty chrysalis behind it. This is a very pretty clear- winged moth, resembling a wasp, 

 which when its wings are spread will measure about three quarters of an inch across. 

 The transparent wings are adorned with bluish-black markings, the head is orange, the 

 thorax yellow, and the abdomen bluish black banded with golden yellow. The female lays 

 her eggs on the bark of the trees, preferring the red maple Acer rub rum, although the 

 other varieties of maple are also more or less affected. In a few days small larvae hatch 

 from the eggs, which penetrate through the bark and feed upon the inner portion and sap- 

 wood of the tree, making an irregular cavity which is packed with the castings of the 

 larvae mixed with minute fragments of wood. When full grown it is about three quar- 

 ters of an inch long, with a small yellow head, and a white or yellowish white body, which 

 is darker on the hinder segments. Where the larvae are safely lodged under the bark no 

 remedy but the knife will reach them, but the moths may be prevented from laying their 

 eggs by coating the bark with a mixture of soap and strong solution of washing soda, the 

 mixture being made about the consistence of ordinary paint, and applied to the trees 

 in the middle of June. 



Within the past two or three years Paris green mixed with water in the proportion 

 of a teaspoonful to a pailful of water has been recommended as a remedy for the codling 

 moth, the mixture being freely applied to the apple trees with a syringe or force pump 

 soon after the fruit has set. The results of experiments conducted during the past season 

 go far towards establishing the value of this remedy, the number of wormy apples having 

 been materially lessened on the trees so treated. Tn my own experiments where the mix- 

 ture was applied to alternate trees, the proportion of wormy fruit in some instances on the 

 trees syringed seemed to be nearly the same as on the adjoining trees which were not 

 treated ; the fruit on both being less wormy than usual, while in other instances there was 

 a very unusual freedom from the apple-worm. Other experimenters claim far more 

 decided results. So promising a measure, where so much is at stake, well deserves a most 

 extensive trial. The mixture should be applied while the fruit is quite small and before 

 the stem is bent with its weight, then as the eye or calyx of the fruit on which the cod- 

 ling moth usually deposits her eggs points upwards, it will more readily catch some portion 

 of the spray. A very minute quantity lodged in the little cavity and drying there would 

 leave a trace of Paris green sufficient to destroy the newly-hatched larvae as it begins to 

 eat its way into the fruit. 



The meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science was held 

 this year at Minneapolis, where I had the honour to represent our Society. The attend- 

 ance of entomologists, although good, was scarcely so large as last year. Since the adop- 

 tion of the new Constitution, whereby the sub-section of Entomology has been merged 

 into the section of Biology, the entomologists have greatly felt the need of opportunities 

 of bringing up for informal discussion many questions suggested by the experience of 

 those present, matters which could not well be brought before the general session. To 



