l!io GYPSY AND BROAVX-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 



wen- In -in n i ni: to get restive because such results had not been 

 obtained. Several expressed a doubt if everything possible was 

 being done to secure the successful introduction of the parasites. 

 Others became enthusiastic over the specious proposition put for- 

 ward by a certain western horticulturist (not an entomologist), 

 who offered to suppress the gypsy moth in Massachusetts by 

 means of parasites for the sum of $25,000, - - " no cure, no pay." 

 This state of affairs was no doubt a natural outcome of the desire 

 to avoid a repetition of the great damage to property caused 

 by the moth in past years. Again, men without any technical 

 knowledge of entomology or of the life histories of the parasites, 

 not realizing the difficulties in securing, shipping, breeding and 

 disseminating these beneficial insects, and equally ignorant of 

 how r long it takes an imported insect to become established even 

 under the most favorable conditions, might well be pardoned 

 for expecting almost immediate results from the introduction 

 of the relatively small number of parasites, - - small indeed in 

 comparison with the tremendous numbers of the moths. 



These citizens expressed the feeling before the Legislative 

 committee that we were not going ahead fast enough in this 

 important work, and desired that the superintendent secure 

 additional counsel and advice in the matter, to determine, if 

 possible, whether the best lines of procedure were being fol- 

 lowed, and for this purpose an additional appropriation of 

 $15,000 was made available. It was first suggested that con- 

 sultation be had only with certain California men who had 

 had experience in the matter of importing parasites of scale 

 in-ects. The superintendent, however, pointed out that such a 

 reference of the matter to those whose experience had been 

 confined to a single group of insects (not caterpillars), while 

 no doubt helpful, would not be snlliciently broad to throw much 

 li^ht on the Mas-achn-eii- problem in dealing with the moth 



It seemed to him much wiser and certainly more thoron^h- 

 going, since this entire V70rk miirht he called in <pie-tion at any 

 time, and in view of the lar^e amount of money M a aclm-eiis 

 wa- expending in securing parasite-, to consult not with the 

 trained entomologistfl of a single State, but with as many ento- 

 of national or even world-wide reputation as possible. 



