318 FIFTH REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL COMMISSION. 
relating to them will be read with great interest. I hear from them in Florida, but 
not In such numbers as here."— [G. C. Snow, Yates County, New York, in New York 
Weekly Tribune, November 11, 1874.") 
"About forty years ago my father set out a grove of locust trees for fencing pur- 
poses, at the foot of a rocky, wooded hill. The trees throve, and for years have 
furnished the farm with posts and stakes. When they were young we began to 
notice on them, now and then, the insects known as " Walking-sticks," and some 
fifteen years ago they began to increase rapidly, appearing in summer on the locusts, 
to which at first they seemed to confine themselves, entirely stripping them of their 
leaves, and have done so every second year since. 
"The locusts have nearly all succumbed to the repeated attacks of these repulsive- 
looking pests, which have for some time extended their operations to the adjoining 
native trees, most kinds of which they feed upon ravenously. 
"I have never by observation been able to discover when or where the eggs are 
deposited, nor can I find more than a description of the insect in any book within my 
reach. Will you throw a little light on the subject, and can you suggest any method 
of destroying these pestiferous walkiug-sticks ?"— [R. E. R., Ferrisburgh, Vt., in 
Rural New Yorker, November 7, 1874.] 
"In June last we gave an account of a remarkable visitation of myriads of the 
insect known as the walking-stick (Spectrum femoratum) in Yates County, New York, 
aud asked for information as to the appearance elsewhere. The following from 
Mr. E. H. Conklin, Cumberland County, Pa., is the first response, which we hope 
may call out others. Mr. C. says: 'This insect, though not at all common, and 
seldom numerous, has made its annual appearance in our peach orchards for forty 
years, and only once in this time have they been so numerous as to be injurious. In 
this instance, which was about ten years ago, these insects denuded a row of locust 
trees that formed a shelter on the northwest side of a peach orchard. For half a 
dozen rods from this locust row the peach trees were also stripped of their leaves. 
Previous to this time we never saw them on any other trees except the peach. As to 
color some are light green, and others brown, amongst male and female. The female 
has a much heavier body than the male.'" — [American Agriculturist, August, 1677.] 
A further account of great injury to oak timber by this insect on Mr. Snow's farm 
was given in the American Agriculturist for Juue, 1877, and when applications were 
made through the editor of the said journal for more definite information and for 
some practical recommendations, so little was auy one able to comply with such a 
request, I deemed the matter of sufficient interest and importance to warrant further 
investigation. A couple of visits to Esperange farm enabled me to clear up the 
insect's natural history, and suggested, as the sequel will show, a simple and feasible 
means of preventing its injuries. 
Mr. Snow has about 50 acres of woodland, consisting of fine young trees, mostly 
the second growth of hickory, and of different species of oak. In 1874 the trees on 
about 25 acres were totally defoliated. In 1875 the insects appeared in fewer num- 
bers. In 1876 they were even more numerous than in 1874, and covered a larger 
area. In 1877 again they attracted less attention, while last summer I found that 
Mr. Snow's accounts were by no means exaggerated. By the middle of August the 
bulk of the pests were going through their last molt, and by the end of autumn they 
had stripped most of the trees, showing, however, a decided preference for the blacky 
red, and rock-chestnut oaks over the white oaks and hickories, which they affect but 
little till after the first-mentioned trees are stripped. The underbrush was also very 
effectually eleaned of its foliage, and the insects hung from and cluug to the bare 
twigs and branches in great clusters. They settle to roost on the witch hazel, but 
do not defoliate it until the other trees mentioned are pretty bare. Sumach and 
thorn are also little affected, while peach aud apple in an adjoining orchard were 
untouched. Whenever they have entirely stripped the trees aud shrubs they move 
in bodies to fresh pastures, crowding upon oue another and covering the ground, the 
