BUREAU OF ENTOMOLOGY. 215 



Quarantine work. — The inspection of nursery stock and forest 

 and quarry products has been kept up throughout the year, and in 

 accordance with the new regulations of the Federal Horticultural 

 Board Christmas trees and greens were allowed to be shipped from 

 the infested area after inspection. Shipments of quarantined pro- 

 ducts numbering 37,444 have been examined and passed, 664 of which 

 were found infested and were required to be treated before ship- 

 ment was allowed. On these latter shipments 11,159 specimens of 

 the gipsy moth in all stages, except the adult form, and 517 brown- 

 tail moth webs were found and destroyed. 



As a result of the effective work which is being carried on along 

 the outside border of the quarantined area, a change has been made 

 in the inspection regulations so that shipments that are being sent 

 into slightly infested territory must be inspected hereafter the same 

 as those that pass outside the quarantined area. This regulation will 

 assist in preventing reinfestation of territory which is being treated 

 and, it is hoped, will hasten the time when the quarantine may be 

 lifted from some of the towns along the outer border. 



Silvicttltural work. — The sample plats under observation to se- 

 cure data on the best method of thinning infested woodland have 

 been examined from time to time during the year, and much new 

 information has been secured. Final results from these plats can 

 not be expected for several years. Considerable information has 

 been gathered concerning the best methods of utilizing the wood 

 products grown in the infested area, as it would stimulate the elimi- 

 nation of favored food plants of the caterpillar if more profitable 

 markets could be found. 



Experimental work. — During the year a large number of ex- 

 periments have been conducted with several kinds of tree-banding 

 material in the effort to reduce the expense of this process. The 

 study of the gipsy moth as a cranberry pest has been continued, 

 special attention having been paid to the dispersion of small cater- 

 pillars over the bogs on account of the wind drift. Studies have 

 been made of the increase of the gipsy moth under normal field 

 conditions, the relation of disease and parasites, and the effect of 

 defoliation on different species of trees. An investigation has also 

 been begun to determine the reason why gipsy-moth egg clusters in 

 several localities failed to hatch. 



Parasite and disease work. — The thorough investigation of the 

 so-called wilt disease of the gipsy moth has been continued, and many 

 facts concerning the obscure causative organism of this disease have 

 been secured. Apparently this organism, which is an important 

 factor in reducing the number of gipsy moths, attacks many native 

 caterpillars. 



The colonization of parasites imported from Europe and Japan 

 has been continued during the fall of 1915. One hundred and fifty- 

 nine colonies of Japanese egg parasites known as Schedius huvanae 

 were liberated in 28 towns in Massachusetts and 11 in New Hamp- 

 shire — 661,713 individuals in all. During the spring of 1916 an- 

 other imported parasite of the gipsy-moth eggs, known as Anastatus 

 hifasciatus, was colonized in 14 towns in Maine, 31 towns in New 

 Hampshire, and 71 towns in Massachusetts, a total number of 12,286 



