34 THE BROWN-TAIL MOTH. 



Mi^i? We.st 1)1" 42 Preston Street, Sonierville, on returning 

 home from an absence of several weeks,, — 



was badly poisoned by the caterpillars. I bad not been home 

 twenty-four hours before I was poisoned. I did not know that 

 the insects had gotten on me, and at first thought I had the 

 measles. The trouble lasted for several weeks, and then gradually 

 wore away. 



Henry Foster, 23 Park Street, Somerville, says : — 



The caterpillars did not poison us until they got very thick. I 

 suffered badly with them; I could not get rid of them, and chang- 

 ing my clothing seemed to do no good. Our neighbors were 

 troubled more than we were. One of them was so ill that she had 

 to call a physician. 



J. A. Merrifield, previously quoted, states: — 



In 1897 we were much bothered by the poisoning of the cater- 

 pillars. You could not sit under the trees ten minutes before you 

 would begin to feel the itching sensation. You might not find a 

 caterpillar on you anywhere, but it would be only a few minutes 

 before you would begin to itch. 



^Irs. J. O'Connell, 82 Beacon Street, Somerville, says : — 



This summer whenever we sat under the trees we would have a 

 terrible itching. The caterpillars poisoned me very badly. My 

 hands, arms and face were covered with rash, and my children 

 were broken out in the same way. 



A Severe Case of Poisoning. 

 From the nature of his work, Granville A. Walker, 9 

 Loring Street, Somerville, became badly poisoned by the in- 

 sect, his case being one of the most severe in the devastated 

 district. It is of particular interest, since the nettling came 

 not from the caterpillars, but from the cocoons spun on 

 house walls. He has written us : — 



1 was painting a house on Vine Street in 'July, 1897. There 

 were some caterpillars on the trees auch many webs containing 

 cocoons. Some of the branches were so near the house we were 

 obliged to cut tliciu oft". The house was covered with cocoons 

 also; we found them under the clapboards, and of course had to 



