17 



217) relates that in the course of a short journey from Toronto (in which direction he 

 does not tell us) he came upon a large orchard, which was almost as bare and leafless as 

 in mid-winter, having been stripped of its foliage by the Tent caterpillar. Passing on a 

 little further he came to another, and yet another, in the same plight : " they were utterly 

 leafless, fruitless, and apparently dying, all from the same cause." It is difficult to say 

 which species produced all this damage, but from his account of their ravages, and his 

 mention of the wandering propensities of the caterpillars, we should judge that it was 

 the Forest and not the American species. In July, 1867, we drew attention in the same 

 publication (Canada Farmer, p. 221), to a case of abominable negligence, in the neighbor- 

 hood of Port Talbot, which permitted thirty acres of orchard to be completely devastated 

 by these caterpillars. Tn June, 1868, Mr. Beadle mentions (Prize Esstiy, p. 174) that 

 innumerable, legions of this caterpillar swept over the orchards in the neighborhood of St. 

 Thomas, and that they were very abundant throughout all the country between that place 

 and London, Ontario. Mr. Saunders has informed us that they have almost taken the 

 place of the C. Americana' in the neighborhood of London, the latter species being not 

 nearly so numerous as in former years. East of Toronto, however, we have not found 

 this caterpillar particularly numerous, while the other is universally abundant. 



The remedies for both these pests may be divided into two classes : — artificial and 

 natural. The former are, in a few words, (1) to search the orchard carefully in early 

 spring, before the buds are swollen, or indeed at any time during the winter, and cut off- 

 all the bracelets of eggs and burn them. They will be found near the endt* of the shoots, 

 seldom more than a foot distant from the tip, and sometimes not an inch. A little 

 practice will soon enable one to detect them instantly. A cloudy day should be chosen 

 for the work in order to avoid the inconvenience of too much glare from the sky. (2) 

 Go through the orchard or garden regularly twice a week, from the time the buds begin 

 to open till the trees are in full blossom, and remove all the tents with their nests of cater- 

 pillars. When the nests are small they may be crushed in the glovei hand without diffi- 

 culty. When they are high up and out of reach, they may be brought down by means 

 of a pole, with a bunch of rags attached to the extremity. (3) Search for and destroy the 

 cocoons about the end of June, in the positions that we have mentioned above. (-4) Kill 

 all the moths of these two species that are attracted by light. 



The natural remedies, which we have only to let alone to do their work, are (1) a very 

 minute fly (Platygaster) the larvae of which live in the eggs of the tent-caterpillars, and 

 destroy great numbers (see Canada Farmer 1866, p. 135). (2) A two winged fly (Tachina) 

 F IG 22. about the size of and much resembling a common house- 



fly, and a four-winged fly (Pimpla), both of which are 

 parasitic upon the caterpillars. (3) Various species of 

 ground-beetles (Carabidce), which devour great quantities 

 of these caterpillars. Fig. 22 represents the green cater- 

 pillar-hunter (Calosoma scrutator Fab.), which though not 

 common, does good service. There are also many other 

 good friends of this character besides these. 



One word more and we have done with these pestilent 

 creatures. We are strongly of opinion, that the Govern- 

 ment of this country should compel under penalties the 

 destruction of the webs or tents of these and other noxi- 

 ous caterpillars. They are so conspicuous that it is only 

 carelessness and indolence that suffer them to increase 

 upon us, and there can be no excuse for their neglect. 



Colors, Metallic-Green, Purple and Copper. 



12. The White Marked Tussock Caterpillar (Orgyia leucostigma, Sm. and 

 Abbott). — During the winter when our apple-trees ought to be destitute of leaves, we 

 occasionally see a single leaf or cluster of leaves attached to a twig. If these are examined 

 they will in almost all cases be found to contain an old grey cocoon, and the greater num- 

 ber to have a mass of eggs, covered with a white, glistening; froth-like substance attached 

 to them as well. These eggs, two or three hundred of which may be found upon 



2 N.T. 



