Nov., '07] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 407 



they shed their hairs to make use of them in building their 

 cocoons, and in this way the hairs fly about and are apt to 

 come into contact with human beings. Where this happens, a 

 nettling or poisoning is set up in most persons, which 

 is sometimes very severe, and it is hard to get rid of it, es- 

 pecially where it affects the* eyes. Property values have been 

 very much reduced where these caterpillars occur, because 

 people will not live in such places. The State of Massachusetts 

 has spent millions of dollars in an attempt to control these 

 insects, and is still fighting. 



A history was given of the introduction of the species and 

 the work that had been done in the past. At the present time, 

 the United States Government is co-operating with the Massa- 

 chusetts authorities in an effort to introduce European para- 

 sites and other natural enemies in the hopes that these might 

 become domesticated and aid in keeping the introduced in- 

 sects in check. The present line of distribution has been 

 toward the northeast, because the prevailing winds during the 

 summer on the New England coast are from the southwest. 

 In consequence, while the insects have extended the full length 

 of the United States coast line, from Boston northward, and 

 even have reached the British possessions, they have not ex- 

 tended west further than Connecticut, and have not yet reached 

 New York State. In New Hampshire an active campaign is 

 under way against the insects, and that State has its forest to 

 protect. Where the two species occur together, as they do in 

 Massachusetts, a forest area would be doomed in a few years. 



The caterpillars of the Brown-tail Moth hatch in late fall 

 and hibernate as partly grown larvae. They eat the last foliage, 

 and the first foliage that comes out in the Spring. The Gypsy 

 Moth hatches from the egg in May or June, and eats during 

 the middle of the summer. By the time the caterpillars of 

 this insect are gone, the Brown-tail Moths have laid eggs, 

 and their young are almost ready to make a new start. In this 

 way an infested area would be kept stripped for the entire 

 season, and no tree will survive this more than two or three 

 years. Conifers will stand one defoliation only. 



