1906.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT No. 73. 145 



same points, also served to a less extent, because there was 

 less of it than of the other, to establish the gypsy moths in 

 new outside places. 



A less regular distribution of the moth has resulted from 

 the carriage or shipment outside the infested territory of 

 objects upon which the eggs of the insect have been laid, 

 such as cord wood, boxes, barrels, etc. As a gypsy moth 

 egg cluster contains on the average some 500 eggs, a single 

 transportation of an infested object, even if there were 

 never another shipment, would be the easy means of the in- 

 festation of a new locality. While a certain per cent of the 

 spread of the gypsy moth has been due to its transporta- 

 tion in the egg form, it is now known that far the greater 

 part has taken place when the insect was in the active cater- 

 pillar stage. 



In addition to the spinning down of young caterpillars 

 from trees in residential districts, there are other ways by 

 which vehicles become infested. When vegetation is rapidly 

 being destroyed by caterpillars, as is the case when they are 

 in great or overcrowding numbers in a place, they migrate 

 in search of food. Vehicles which happen to stand in or 

 near a spot where such conditions obtain (as a badly infested 

 tract of roadside bushes or piece of woodland) soon become 

 infested with caterpillars of all sizes, which are rapidly seek- 

 ing "fresh fields and pastures new." No longer a period 

 than five minutes may be required for a vehicle to become 

 infested with scores of caterpillars. Even when the moths 

 are not so thick as this, as in an orchard or yard, large cater- 

 pillars frequently crawl for shelter or for the purpose of 

 pupating on the under sides of the bodies of wagons which 

 stand beneath or near infested trees. 



The great variety of ways by which distribution may be 

 brought about is well illustrated by two cases out of many 

 recorded in the summer of 1905. Following the celebration 



V_7 



in June of the two hundred and seventy-fifth anniversary of 

 the settlement of Medford, the bunting and flags which were 

 used freely for decorative purposes all over the city were 

 shipped elsewhere. Some of this material went out of the 

 State. Following his usual practice of cleaning his bunting, 



