State Agricultural Society. 
891 
ITS HABIT8. MODE OP PIERCING TWIGS. 
from half an inch to half a foot long, and sometimes several rows 
on a cane. Above these nests the cane is dead. The most of them 
are as much as two feet from the ground. The prospects of my 
berry crop are diminished at least one-half in consequence of this.” 
In a black raspberry stalk I count eighty-one punctures in a row 
three inches and a fourth in length, indicating that this number of 
eggs was laid by one of these tree-hoppers at one time and with¬ 
out any remission of its work. The number of holes in a row one 
inch in length I find to be from twenty-five to twenty-seven. 
In the year 1858 the apple trees at Akron, Ohio, and its vicinity, 
were extensively injured by these wounds upon their twigs. The 
malady attracted the notice of H. W. Howe, Counsellor at Law, of 
that place, who forwarded to me specimens of the wounded twigs, 
and some correspondence hereupon followed between us. Upon 
being informed how much of a novelty these 'wounds were, and 
that the insect making them was unknown, he devoted particular 
attention to this subject, and at length was so fortunate as to detect 
the culprit in the very act of piercing these holes, and specimens 
of it were thereupon sent to me. It is thus to Esq. Howe that we 
are indebted for knowing what insect it is which causes these wounds, 
and the manner in which it makes them. 
This insect begins to be seen soon after the middle of July, each 
year, and remains till the end of the season. It is so common 
throughout the Northern States and Canada, and has such a pecu¬ 
liar form that every observing person lias probably at some time 
noticed it. It is from three to four-tenths of an inch long, of a 
light grass-green color faintly freckled with whitish dots, and is 
three-sided, like a beech-nut in shape. At its forward end, jutting 
out horizontally upon each side is a short sharp-pointed process, 
these two projecting points looking like a pair of horns, giving it 
some resemblance to a bull or buffalo, from which circumstance it 
has received its name. It may frequently be seen on the small 
limbs of the apple tree, the locust and other trees in our orchards 
and yards, standing with its head towards the base of the limb. 
It there remains perfectly motionless and quiescent. But if the 
finger approaches it, with a sudden strong spring it darts away 
with such velocity that the eye is seldom able to follow it or even 
catch a glimpse of the direction in which it has thrown itself. 
The piercer, lancet or ovipositor,.the instrument with which this 
tree-hopper perforates the holes in the stalks of the raspberry and 
