BUREAU OF ENTOMOLOGY. 621 



new towns were found infested. Money has been appropriated by 

 the State for 1912, and it is hoped that the ground lost will be re- 

 gained. The brown-tail moth has spread slightly in this State and 

 the northeastern part is badly infested in spots. 



In Connecticut the gipsy-moth situation is most encouraging. The 

 State authorities have been very energetic and have done most of 

 the work. No trace of the moth has been found at Stonington, 

 where a bad colony existed some years ago. At Wallingford, where 

 two years ago 5,000 egg-masses were creosoted, two of the most ex- 

 pert scouts of the bureau in December, 1911, and January, 1912, were 

 hbie to find only 5 egg-clusters. 



IMPORTATIONS OF USEFUIi INSECTS. 

 IMPORTATION'S OF INSECT ENEMIES OF THE GIPSY MOTH AND THE BROWN-TAIL MOTH. 



During the fiscal year under consideration the gradual change 

 instituted the previous year in the work of importing insect enemies 

 of the gipsy moth and the brown-tail moth by reducing the number 

 of importations, paying more attention to the study of the intimate 

 relations of certain of the parasites in their native homes, and espe- 

 cially making an effort to study and import species heretofore con- 

 sidered as not especially prominent but which may fill in important 

 gaps in the parasite chain, and further, devoting more attention to the 

 study of the American conditions and rate of spread of parasites 

 previously imported, has been followed up. An important step was 

 taken on December 1, 1911, whereby the work of introducing and 

 colonizing parasites and predatory enemies of the gipsy moth and the 

 brown-tail moth, which had hitherto been carried on cooperatively 

 with the State of Massachusetts, was transferred bodily to the bureau. 

 The arrangement went into effect on that date. At this point it 

 should be stated that the cooperation on this project between the 

 State of Massachusetts and the United States Department of Agri- 

 culture, which has been in effect for about 6 j^ears, has been thor- 

 oughly satisfactory. AVithout the assistance of the State the opera- 

 tions could not have been carried on upon so large a scale as has been 

 possible. The most cordial relations have existed and the most per- 

 fect facilities have been offered to the experts of the bureau at the 

 expense of the State. The growing importance of the work and the 

 urgent need for the diversion of all possible State funds to other 

 aspects of the investigation have brought about the transfer indi- 

 cated. The Massachusetts end of the work has been carried on in 

 much the same way as heretofore, a number of State employees hav- 

 ing b<'en tran.-fcrrod to the bureau rolls, so that their previous train- 

 ing and experience was available. 



During the first half of the fiscal year only a small amount of 

 parasitic material was received from Europe, but although the quan- 

 tity was small the quality was excellent. Most of this material was 

 wintered at the laboratory, and during the spring of 1912 there has 

 been a good emergence of parasites and several vigorous colonies 

 have been lilx-rated in the field. Especial mention was made in the 

 last annual report of the receipt and liberation of 23.000 specimens of 

 Apantcles solitat^ius, a species which seems to be important in Europe 

 und witli which the bureau has been previously unsuccessful. Down 



