THE BROAVN-TAIL MOTH. 13 



scribed the habits of the moth in 1683, and Albin in 1720. 

 In 1731, Reaumur, travelling from Tours to Paris, "found 

 every oak in possession " of these caterpillars, and later 

 made very complete studies of their habits. Roesel, in 1746, 

 mentions and describes the moth. Linnaeus described the 

 moth in his " Systema Naturae," Vol. I., p. 502, 1758, and 

 gave it the scientific name Bombyx cJiri/tiorrhma. The genus 

 Bomhyx of Linneeus has been divided by later entomologists 

 into a large number of genera, based on structural charac- 

 ters ; and this species, forming the tyjic of the new genus 

 Euproctis^ is now known by the scientitic name of Euproctis 

 cJirymrrhoiu (L-). Since the time of Linnsus the brown- 

 tail moth has been figured and described by nearly every en- 

 tomologist who has Avritten on the moths of Europe, and 

 more or less complete accounts have been given of its life 

 history and habits. 



Geolfroy, in his "Ilistoire abregee des Insectes," Vol. 11., 

 p. 117, 1762, in writing of the brown-tail moth in the 

 vicinity of Paris, says that it is the most conmion of all 

 caterpillars, and is found on almost all trees, which it 

 often entirely defoliates in the spring. 



In 1782, William Curtis published an account of the dep- 

 redations of the brown-tail moth, in which he informs us 

 that at that thne " the inhabitants of London and its vicinity 

 were thi'own into the utmost consternation " at the hosts of 

 caterpillars of this species, that completelj^ stripped the trees 

 and shrubs of their leaves for miles in many })laces. The 

 general a})})earcince was such as might well cause alarm ; for 

 plants, hedges and " whole plantations of fruit trees, as well 

 as trees of the forest, shared in the general havoc, presenting 

 their leafless branches in the midst of summer as thouirh 

 stricken and destro3^ed by the blasts of winter. An aj)i)ear- 

 ance so extraordinary was calculated to create terror ; it was 

 naturally interpreted as a visitation from heaven, ordained 

 to destroy all the soiu*ces of vegetable" life, to deprive man and 

 cattle of their essential food, and tiiuilly leave them a prey 

 to famine" (Donovan). The alarm of the public was so 

 great and prevailed to such an extent that prayers Avere 

 publicly offered in the churches to avert the calamity. Be- 



