GIPSY MOTH TN CONNECTICUT. 23 



these iiiiii-li( be ^ij^ipsy-iuoth eii'^'s, lie h.ul, iii ordei- to inake sure, ciU oti' 

 the abdomen of the female moth and, obtainino- the egg's from her, 

 compared them \vith those of the egg mass and conelnded that they 

 were identical. We inspected the region and fonnd a number of 

 egg masses in some low bushes near the velvet mill. This, as well 

 as the place where Mr. Frensch found the adult moth, is near the 

 railroad, and not far from the point where the spur track leading to 

 the steamboat dock branches from the main track. 



The next thing Avas to learn the extent of the infestation, or, in 

 other words, the size of the infested area. We applied to Massachu- 

 setts for a trained scout, and through the kindness of Superintendent 

 Kirkland we obtained the services of Mr. C. S. Mixter for two weeks. 

 Mr. ]\fixter scouted nearly 5 square miles of territor3% giving as his 

 opinion that the infested territory had been well surrounded. The 

 brush on about 5 acres of land around the pond by the velvet mill 

 was cut and burned before INIay 1, the hatching time for the eggs. 

 The Qgg masses found were destroyed by soaking them with creosote 

 oil. lianding ti-ees with burlap was commenced about the middle 

 of May; only a few were banded at first, but the number was 

 increased as fast as seemed desirable. We supposed, of course, that 

 about all of the ogg masses had been destroyed, but the number of 

 caterpillars found showed that some had been overlooked, and during 

 the smnmer we I'an across a number of these old egg nuisses — more 

 even than had previously been destroyed. 



Most of the caterpillars Avere found on old apple trees, though 

 cherry, quince, rose bushes, and red maple were infested. !Many of 

 the old apple trees had received no care for many years, if ever, and 

 the tops were croAvded with branches, some of Avhich Avere dead, the 

 bark Avas rough, and in many cases trees Avere holloAv or had caAdties 

 caused by broken or rotting branches. All of these faults Avere serious 

 hindrances to our work because they furnished hiding places out of 

 our reach for the caterpillars, so that they would not go under the 

 bands Avhere Ave could find them. We therefore pruned and scraped 

 many trees, and filled uj^ the cavities Avith stone and cement. A few 

 trees Avere sprayed with arsenate of lead, and sticky bands of " tree 

 tanglefoot " Avere giA'en a trial. In a fcAV cases brush groAving near 

 stone Avails Avas found infested. The bi-ush Avas cut and the Avails 

 fired with fuel oil to kill any caterpillars that might be hiding in 

 them. 



We had men on the ground continuously from June 7 to September 

 1, and during the latter part of June and first half of July ten men 

 were kept busy pruning, scraping, and banding trees, and destroying 

 caterpillars. The bands Avere visited each day until after nearly all 

 the caterpillars had i)upated, Avhen they Avere examined less fre- 

 quently — i^erhaj^s every other day — and finally twice a week, until all 



