The foliage of many maple trees around Ottawa was this year badly attacked by the Maple-leaf Gall mite, Phytoptus quadripes, on numerous fine trees, the leaves being conspicuously distorted by the galls made by this tiny mite.

I have brought to the meeting a collection of Micro-Lepidoptera which I have made at Ottawa and Meach Lake during the past two seasons. This year I have mounted up nearly 1,500 of these small moths. I have also brought some interesting larger moths, which are rare in the Ottawa District..

DIVISION NO. 2-MIDLAND DISTRICT. BY C. E. GRANT.

This has been a fine year for the entomologist, many species appearing in numbers surpassing anything seen since 1898, and whilst that was the case with some species, very little injury has been noticed or reported to me from injurious insects. Of course the Codling moth (Carpocapsa pomonella), the Potato-beetle (Doryphora decemlineata) are always with us, and Onion Maggots (Phorbia ceparum) and the Cutworms of various kinds were also plentiful Mamestra arctica in particular. I again note the scarcity of the imported Currant-worm (Nematus ribesii), the Tent-caterpillars (Clisiocampa Americana and disstria) and also the Tomato Hawk-moth (Proptoparce celeus). The Cottony Maple Scale was noted on the maple trees, but not in unusual quantities; Asparagus-beetles have not reached us yet. No complaints were received of the Pea-weevil. The Tussock moths were abundant this fall, Antiqua being by far the most plentiful.

I have added a lot of new moths to my collection not yet identified. The following I recognized, namely, Macronoctua onusta, Panchrysia purpurigera, Hadena ducta, Perigea vecors, Remigia repanda, Prothymia rhodarialis, Marasmalus inficita, Noctua jucunda, Ancyloxypha numitor, and a new Plusia, making twenty-one species of this genus taken in Orillia.

Butterflies were very numerous, Grapta J. album, Vanessa antiopa, Pyrameis cardui and huntera, and Atlantis very much more so than ever before noticed. The Geometrids were also very much in evidence; among several new ones mention might be made of Phasiane Orilliata, Macaria glomeraria, Plagodis alcolaria, and Philereme Californiata.

On October 14th I took Remigia repanda, Aletia argillacea, Xylina antennata, Orthosin ferruginoides, and Scopelosoma tristigmata.

DIVISION NO. 3-TORONTO DISTRICT. BY J. B. WILLIAMS, TORONTO.

I was not well enough during the past summer to do much entomological work, so that my observations on insect pests have been confined mainly to the ravages of the Grey Tussock moth (Hemerocampa leucostigma) on the shade trees in the streets of Toronto. (Figs. 3 and 4.) They were very numerous this year, especially on the horse-chestnuts.

The city authorities spent some money in the collection of the egg masses during the past winter, but there are so many infested trees in private grounds that the destruction of eggs on shade trees only cannot effectually check them. There are eight chestnut trees on the grounds in front of the house where I live, some of which were partially denuded of their foliage by these caterpillars. Towards the middle of July, while sitting under these trees, one could hear a continual patter on the grass as the creatures dropped themselves down from the branches; and quite an army of them were creeping about the ground for several days, while they sought for places to pupate. Females emerged and began to lay eggs about the 5th of August.

I offered a small sum to several boys on the street if they would clear the cocoons off those eight trees. Some of them were good climbers, and they collected, I believe, about two buckets full. The trees are now, apparently, free from them, and it will be interesting to observe next season to what extent this clearing has been effectual, for there are no other chestnut trees near them.

Fig. 2. a Zebra caterpillar, b the moth, Mamestra picta.

Walking-stick insects (Diapheromera femorata), which were so numerous in some localities last year, have only appeared this year in about their ordinary numbers.

Tent caterpillars, as far as I have noticed, have been comparatively scarce around Toronto, and Dr. Brodie's observations also confirm this statement.

I heard one complaint of apples, from a garden north of the city, having worms in them, but I had no opportunity to examine any of them.

DIVISION NO. 5-LONDON DISTRICT. BY C. J. S. BETHUNE.

At the request of Professor McCready, whose appointment to the chair of Nature Study at the Macdonald Institute, Guelph, caused his removal from Lendon last winter, I beg to make a report upon the noteworthy insects of the past season in that part of the country.

In the city of London itself public attention has been especially drawn. to the widespread abundance of the Cottony Maple Scale (Pulvinaria innumerabilis, Rathv.) on the shade trees of the streets and boulevards of the city. (Fig. 5.) On the maple and basswood trees especially it was to be found in countless millions, and the cottony tufts of egg-masses on the underside of twigs and branches were so numerous and so close together as to look as if the boughs had been thickly spattered with whitewash. Towards the end of August the leaves on many trees were curled and withered from the continuous drain of the scale insects and began to fall prematurely; in some instances the trees were almost bare by the first of September. Grape vines, the Boston ivy, Virginia creeper, and many shrubs were included in the attack, and injury was also caused to plants and flowers by the constant drip of "honey dew" and the black fungus that grew wherever it fell. This attack has been going on for some years and steadily increasing in extent, and now it seems to have reached its culmination, and, we may hope, may begin to decline. Two years ago at our annual meeting, I gave an account of this

insect and an outline of its life history; as this was published in our Report for 1903, it is unnecessary to go over the same ground again. In September last the Park Superintendent and one of the aldermen asked the local members of the Society to report upon this insect and the Tussock moth to the City Council. This was accordingly done, and on the 2nd of October we attended at the City Hall and were invited by the Mayor to present any report we had to make.

Fig. 3. Tussock moth: a wingless female moth on its cocoon; b young caterpillar; c chrysalis of female; d of male; e male moth.

Fig. 4. Tussock moth: full-grown caterpillar.

Fig. 5. Cottony maple scale; female scales with tufts containing eggs.

The Tussock moth (Figs. 3 and 4) was the subject of newspaper articles in the local press from time to time during the summer, and fears were expressed that, as it was very destructive in Toronto and doing some injury in Hamilton, it might soon reach London. We were able to assure the City Council that this dreaded insect had been well known in London to entomologists for thirty or forty years, and that during the past summer it had been as plentiful as usual. It was not, however, numerous enough to be a cause of any alarm, and no injury to the trees of the city could be charged to it. A simple method of preventing its increase was suggested and will no doubt be carried out, namely, the gathering and destroying during the winter the masses of eggs laid by the wingless female moth on her cocoon. These are white and conspicuous and in most cases within easy reach; they are so few in number that any householder could clear the trees on his own premises in a few minutes, and the work of removing them from the city trees. would involve but little labor. It was recommended that only the cocoons bearing egg-masses should be destroyed, as the others contained either empty male chrysalids or parasites.

With regard to the Cottony Maple Scale, we were unable to suggest any practicable remedy. Two methods of dealing with the insect were mentioned as worthy of adoption by anyone who wished to protect his own trees: first, the spraying of the trees during the winter with the lime and sulphur wash that is found so effective in the case of the San Jose Scale, in order to destroy the female scales that winter on the twigs and branches of the trees; and secondly, by spraying of the trees with kerosene emulsion towards the end of June and during the first two weeks of July-three or four times in all-in

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order to destroy the lice when they are hatched from the egg-masses and are moving about in search of a final resting place. At this particular time they are exposed and can be reached by spraying, but as soon as they attach themselves to the leaves and become covered with their scale they are practically invulnerable. The Park Superintendent was instructed to try these methods or selected trees and report results next year, but it was felt to be beyond the power of the city authorities to deal with the immense number of shade trees throughout the city, unless they were quite sure of exterminating the pest.

By way of encouragement I mentioned to the Council that this insect is well known in many cities in the United States, and the general experience has been that after a few years of abundance it ceases to be numerous for a time owing to the attacks of parasitic insects and the effects of atmospheric conditions. It does not, as a rule, kill the trees, because its attacks do not strip off the foliage nor entirely prevent the leaves from discharging their function, though when so numerous as at present they must certainly impair the vigor, if not the vitality, of the trees they infest. As an illustration of their numbers, I may mention that on a single maple leaf picked at random from a tree I counted 707 scales on the under side and 72 on the upper surface. When we consider the number of leaves on a large tree, the majority of which are infested. the specific name innumerabilis seems most appropriate.

There were several other insect attacks during the year that may be mentioned, but they did not attract public attention.

Fig. 6. May beetle: 1 pupa, 2 the white grub, 3 and 4 the beetles.

White grubs (larvæ of Lachnosterna or May Beetles) (Fig. 6), were complained of in some cases both in Woodstock and London on account of the damage they had done to lawns by devouring the roots of the grass. As they work underground and spend three years in the larval state, it is not easy to prescribe a remedy. In the case of old pasture fields, where they sometimes become very abundant, a simple remedy would be to plough up the sod and turn in pigs or turkeys, and then to grow a root crop. Where lawns are badly damaged it would be worth while to dig up the affected parts late in the autumn and expose the grubs to the frost, or during the summer to remove the sod and soak the ground below with coal oil. Subsequently new earth could be filled in and fresh turf laid.

Wire-worms (larvæ of Elaterida or Click-beetles) were very abundant in many market gardens in the neighborhood of London. As these creatures also

work under ground it is difficult to find a remedy that will be effective. Much, however, may be done to reduce their numbers by trapping them. This is done by placing bunches of clover or sweetened meal poisoned with Paris green under shingles or pieces of board where they are troublesome. The insects are in the habit of taking refuge in the daytime beneath shelters of this kind and will naturally partake of the poisoned food they find provided for them.

The 12-spotted Asparagus beetle (Crioceris 12-punctata) is becoming each year more and more numerous in gardens about London. The other species, C'. asparagi, has not yet made its appearance. Dusting with air-slaked lime seems to be the simplest and most effective remedy for getting rid of the larvæ which feed upon the foliage during the summer.

The Fall Web-worm (Hyphantria textor) has been somewhat in evidence. with its unsightly webs on some trees here and there on the city streets, and on many shrubs and trees in Springbank Park. As soon as the Superintendent's attention was drawn to them, they were speedily got rid of in the Park, but on private grounds many were left unmolested. It is such an easy matter to remove the webs with a stick, and destroy the inmates by trampling under foot, that there is no excuse for neglecting them. It is true that they generally inflict but little damage upon the trees owing to the lateness of their attack, but they are very unsightly and are sometimes very injurious to young trees and shrubs.

The Codling Moth is reported to have been more prevalent than usual this year and to have considerably affected the apple crop about London. The increase of this serious pest is no doubt due to the neglect of spraying, and possibly to ignorance of the fact that there are two broods in the year in this region of country.

The Pea-weevil, on the other hand, is very little complained of, and could be effectually checked if a combined effort were made by all growers and scedsmen. Fumigation with bisulphide of carbon is an easy remedy and not expensive. Its general adoption would soon restore the growing of peas to the valuable position it formerly held in Ontario.

Regarding the Hessian fly, no complaints at all were heard and evidently no appreciable damage was done.

Cutworms, Squash-bugs, Onion and other root maggots were as prevalent as usual and gave the market gardeners much trouble. On the whole the season was not marked by any unusual or violent outbreak of insects, with the exception of the Cottony Maple Scale already referred to.

DISCUSSION OF THE DIRECTORS' REPORTS.

The Tussock moth was the first insect taken up for consideration. Mr. T. D. JARVIS stated that at St. Catharines and in Toronto eighty per cent. of the cocoons that he examined were parasitized by Pimplas and Chalcid flies.

Prof. J. B. SMITH explained that one of these classes of insects was a secondary parasite upon the other, and could not, therefore, be credited with aiding in the reduction of the Tussock moths, but rather the contrary.

Mr. C. W. NASH said that the Tussock moth was by no means confined to cities, as he had found them abundant all through the County of York and · even as far away as St. Joseph's Island in Lake Huron. There he had found a female depositing its eggs as late as the 8th of October. His experience was very different trom that of Mr. Jarvis, for he had only found one cocoon in 400 parasitized; many, however, were diseased and their contents had become