THE BKOWX-TAIL .MOTH. 17 



The 181)7 Outbreak. 



The 1897 outbreak of the broAvn-tail moth was a h)calized 

 one, but made up in severity what it lacked in extent. A 

 circle of two miles in diameter, with centre at the depot on 

 Park Street, and including parts of Somerville and Cam- 

 bridge, would contain nearly all of the devastated area. At 

 Maiden, Everett, and mor(> i)articularly at Medford, there 

 were small infestations, mainly of im[)()rtance as indicating 

 that the spread of the moth outward from the central colony 

 had already begun, and affording insects for the infestation 

 of new territory. In the central district the devastation 

 was almost complete. The })ear and apple trees, on which 

 the majority of ihv. winter webs had been spun, were first 

 stripped. Such remarkably large numbers of these insects 

 were harbored by these trees that their leaf supply w^as soon 

 consumed, and the half-growm caterpillars were forced to 

 miirrate in search of food. In this mio-ration shade trees 

 suffered as severel}^ as fruit trees from the attacks of the 

 insects. "Willows, elms, maples and lindens often were 

 completeh^ defoliated. In their mad search for food the 

 insects SAvarmed along fences and sidewalks, making the 

 latter slipper}^ with their crushed bodies, and even entered 

 houses. Rose bushes, grape vines, garden crops and even 

 grasses were consumed by the hungr}' insects. By the 

 middle of June the trees in the central infested district 

 appeared as if swept by fire, the damage, so far as it went, 

 being as severe as any caused by the gypsy moth. 



This outbreak of the moth in 1897, now historic, is en- 

 titled to more than passing mention, since the scenes there 

 enacted will doubtless be repeated many times as the moth 

 spreads into new territor3^ In fact, such an outbreak is 

 often necessary to arouse the average citizen from his apathy 

 toward the care of trees, and make him see the Avisdom and 

 necessity of stami)ing out this particular i)est wherever it 

 occurs in any considerable numbers. "While the details of 

 the swarming of the caterpillars in 1897 are still well re- 

 membered by those Avho suffered from the moth, statements 

 made by property OAvners soon after the outbreak are of 



