1909.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT- -No. 73. 65 



station, indicated the unfitiiess of this section, since at the 

 present time the gypsy moth* is very rare there. It is necessary, 

 for the success of the undertaking, that the material shall be 

 packed properly during the early as well as the later stages of 

 its transmission from the field to the laboratory. Without the 

 skill displayed by Professor Kincaid in packing the material 

 collected by him in Japan last season, the results of his trip 

 would have been relatively insignificant. 



The entire proposition of introducing the parasites of the 

 gypsy moth is unique, even among other attempts which have 

 been made along similar lines. The insect which it is desired 

 to control differs so materially in habit from any which have 

 been the subject of similar attempts in the past as to make it 

 necessary to devise entirely new methods for handling its para- 

 sites, many of which are themselves different in habit and 

 character from any hitherto handled. The fact that they may 

 only be secured in connection with the gypsy or brown-tail 

 moth caterpillars or pupa) makes it a question of success upon 

 the first effort, or of delay for an entire year for a recurrence 

 of the proper season. 



The same is true of practically every phase of the work. It 

 is rarely indeed that the success of an attempt at colonization of 

 any species becomes apparent until a full year after the colony 

 is planted ; and failure cannot positively be determined until 

 several years have elapsed, allowing for an increase in the 

 abundance of the insect until its presence shall become apparent. 



It is in this respect more than in any other that this under- 

 taking differs so radically from the importation of such para- 

 sites as those of scale insects, for example, which pass through 

 several generations annually, thus making the experience which 

 has been gained by work upon such insects and their parasites 

 of practically no value. 



REPORT OF PROF. FILIPPO SILVESTRI OF THE ROYAL SCHOOL 

 OF AGRICULTURE, PORTICI, ITALY. 



In July of this year Prof. Filippo Silvestri of the Royal 

 School of Agriculture at Portici came to this country, and by 

 invitation of Superintendent Kirkland made a visit to the in- 

 fested district around Boston and to our parasite laboratory at 



