ir,l (JVPSV AND liliOWN-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 



moth outbreak in woodland where nothing but pines were stand- 

 ing. Wherever the pines have suffered there have always been 

 -filtering white oaks or other deciduous trees, and a consider- 

 able quantity of broad-leafed underbrush, which was defoliated 

 the pines were attacked. As the gypsy moth is getting 

 ami more prevalent in the pine-growing sections of the 

 State, particularly in Plymouth County, it seemed desirable to 

 make further studies of the feeding habits of the caterpillars 

 with reference to this most valuable species of tree. To this 

 end, the entomologist in charge of the laboratory, -Mr. F. 11. 

 MI --her, in the spring of 1907 took some 1,500 newly hatched 

 caterpillars from 3 gypsy moth egg clusters, and placed them 

 nn white pine foliage contained in suitable breeding jars. The 

 foliage was changed every other day, yet all the caterpillars 

 died without attacking it. This experiment was repeated with 

 aliont I,.V><) nioiv caterpillars hatching from 9 egg clusters, and 

 with the same result; in other words, not one of the some (.1,000 

 newly hatched caterpillars was able to feed upon the pine 

 needles. 



Following this work, between 300 and 400 larvae in the sec- 

 ond ,-ta ire (first molt) were placed on pine foliage in breeding 

 jar-. The food supply was kept fresh by repeated (-hangings, 

 all the caterpillars died. This experiment was continued 

 with a similar number of caterpillars in the third stage (sec- 

 ond molt), and of the-e about 40 per cent, fed and molted. An 

 examination of the pine (\\igs under the len- showed that feed- 

 ing in this stage was done in small places along the edges of the 



lieedl< . 



While the-e ex] ler i men t < were in progress, a favorahle oppor- 

 tunity was pn-ented to check the laboratory work by a whole- 



sale experiment j,, i] H . jj,.),]. | n ., ,.,.,.)., j n | i; ,,]|v infested 



woodland section in Saugus, on the property of "Mr. lienjamin 

 Johnson, there was a beautiful pine grove interspersed with 

 nniiienm- hard-wood trees and containing a considerable amount 

 of underbrush. The underbrush mid hard-wood trees were cut 

 :md burned, ;md the pines well b:mded with sticky materials. 



A- ;i i-e-ult of thi- treatment, the caterpillars hatched from the 

 many thou-aiid- ,,f egg clusters in the pine<. and, not tinding 

 Suitable food, -pun down to the -round and starved to death. 



