192 agriculture: of MAINE. 



Belfast, Searsport and Stockton Springs. About the same as 

 last year. 



By an examination of the map one can see that the increase 

 in territory over last year has been mostly in a belt extending" 

 across Oxford, Androscoggin and Kennebec counties. 



We are much gratified at what has been accomplished. 



It is true that in some localities as many nests will be taken 

 this winter as last, and in the towns where there was a slight 

 infestation many more may be gathered. 



On account of their rapid increase, if a single nest was over- 

 looked in a border town, where only a few were taken last 

 spring, it might mean the finding of from 50 to 150 nests dur- 

 ing the coming winter. 



THE WINTER NE;sTS. 



For the benefit of those who are unfamiliar with the nests of 

 the brown-tail moth I will add a brief description of the same. 



The nests are constructed by the small caterpillars to serve as 

 homes to protect them from the severity of our northern winters. 



The eggs of the moth are laid about the last of July; these 

 hatch into ver\f small caterpillars during August. 



These caterpillars, when young, remain in a colony, feeding 

 together on the leaves of their food plant. They are so small 

 that it only requires a few leaves to satisfy their hunger, and 

 they only remove the green chlorophyl from these leaving the 

 skeleton. These few leaves are firmly fastened to the twig by 

 means of a fine silk secreted by the caterpillars for this purpose. 

 Within these leaves a tough silken membrane is formed within 

 which they construct small silken cells where they pass the 

 hibernating period. 



