ENTOMOLOGY. 461 



place in Somerville, Massachusetts. Specimens sent to the station were 

 identified as the well-known brown tail moth of Europe. 



Relative to its importation the authors state that upon inquiry of the 

 residents in the infested area, embracing the greater part of Somerville, 

 a large part of Cambridge and Everett, and a small part of Medford, 

 revealed the fact that the insect had been there for 5 years. 



The food plants of the larva? as determined for America are as follows : 



Basswood (Tilia americana), geranium (Geranium sanguineum), grape 

 ( Vitis cordifolia), Virginia creeper (Ampelopsis quinquefolia), sugar 

 maple (Acer saccharin ion), white maple (A. dasycarpum), sycamore 

 maple (A. pseudo-platanus), red clover (Trifolium pratense), wistaria 

 (Wistaria consequana), prune (Prunus domestica), cherry (P. avium), 

 wild black cherry (P. serotina), peach (P. vulgarius), Spiraea thunbergii, 

 raspberry (Rubus strigosus), blackberry (R. villosus), strawberry (Fra- 

 garia virgiana), rose (Rosa nitida), crab apple (Pyrus coronaria), Pyrus 

 pinnatifida, pear (Pyrus com munis), apple (P. malm), quince (Gydonia 

 vulgarius), Japanese quince ( 0. japonica), currant (Ribes rubrum), goose- 

 berry (R. grossularia), Weigela rosea, burdock (Arctium lappa), white 

 ash (Fraxinus americana), plantain (Plantago major), swamp dock, 

 (Rumex verticillatus), curled dock (R. crispus), rhubarb (Rheum rhapon- 

 ticitm), American elm ( limns americana), black walnut (Juglans nigra), 

 weeping willow (Salix babyloniea). 



The majority of these were attacked by the caterpillars in moving 

 from pear orchards. During the latter half of May the caterpillars 

 were in great numbers and swarmed from defoliated pear trees and 

 crawled along the ground, walks, and fences in search of food. Trees 

 in full foliage in the path of this migrating army were stripped in a 

 few days. At one place the caterpillars were noticed on May 22, 

 migrating toward and ascending a large cherry tree which at that time 

 was covered with dense foliage. Five days later scarcely a green leaf 

 remained on the tree, and even the half-grown cherries were partly 

 devoured. In a badly infested orchard the noise made by thousands of 

 these caterpillars feeding in the evening could be plainly heard. 

 Swarming from such places, the caterpillars crawled up the trees along 

 the streets and spread over the walls of the houses. Numerous com- 

 plaints were made of the entrance of these insects into the houses, and 

 the sweeping and washing down of the masses of caterpillars from the 

 piazzas and walls of houses along Park street was a daily occurrence. 



"One of the most annoying features of this caterpillar invasion was the painful 

 irritation or nettling caused l>y the insect when coming in contact with the skin. 

 The hairs of the caterpillar are brittle and easily become detached, and when they 

 come in contact with the skin, produce a most intense irritation. From this cause 

 many persons have suffered so severely as to require the aid of a physician. The 

 invasion of houses by these insects was a common occurrence, and not infrequently 

 they made their way into the sleeping apartments." 



The habit of the larva; of eating the eutire leaf except the midrib, 

 their gregarious inclinations, the manner of making the web, etc., are 

 noted and the subject of natural enemies and remedies discussed. The 



