EIGHTH REPORT 
ON THE 
NOXIOUS AND OTHER INSECTS 
OF THE 
STATE OF NEW YORK. 
By ASA FITCH, M. D., 
ENTOMOLOGIST OP THE NEW YORK STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
[Copy-right secured to the Author.] 
Executive Committee N. Y. Stale Agricultural Society : — 
In presenting this my Eighth Report upon the Noxious and other Insects 
of the State, I have it to observe, that, as the preceding year, 1861, fur 
nished a profuse amount of material for my examinations—not only bringing 
out our customary insects in unusual abundance, but superadding to them 
such important subjects as the Grain Aphis and the Army Worm — so the 
present year, 1862, has been a most barren one. On no previous occasion 
since I have been occupied in these researches, have I been at any loss for 
suitable subjects for study. It was my design to this year continue and 
complete my examination of the remaining insects which are detrimental 
to our grain crops. But, with the exception of the Aphis and the Midge 
in very limited numbers, our fields of grain were singularly clean and free 
from insect vermin. That profusion of flies, bugs and leaf-hoppers which 
we are accustomed to meet with in them, particularly in fields of green 
wheat, failed this year to make their appearance. Our fruit trees had a 
similar exemption, even the curculio having vanished from them; and as a 
consequence, such a crop of fruit was harvested as has seldom before been 
gathered by the present generation. These remarks apply not only to my 
own vicinity but to the State generally, although I have become informed 
of particular localities which were exceptions. 
Thus, when the season for berng actively engaged in my investigations 
arrived, I was not a little disconcerted to discover a total want of any 
interesting material in the fields, the orchards and the forests around me, 
on which to bestow my attention. The only subjects for study which I 
was able to meet with in sufficient plenty to favor their investigation were 
the excrescences or galls upon the oaks and other trees and shrubs. These 
I had examined and partially reported upon four years ago. And it was 
now remarkable to observe what a change had taken place in these galls 
Ag. Trans. PP 
