4 
committee of the Massachusetts State board of agriculture, General 
Lawrence, Professor Fernald, and others, in a tour of inspection 
throughout the worst districts in Medford, Malden, Melrose, and the 
Middlesex Fells reservation. Another day we were accompanied by 
Congressman Roberts and local officials from several of the worst 
infested towns, and also by Mr. Las Casas and Superintendent Price 
of the Fells reservation. In various towns we received assistance and 
gudance from the local tree wardens and street commissioners, and 
notably, in Newton, from Mr. C. W. Ross, street commissioner. On 
four days Mr. Kirkland and the writer were accompanied by Mr. H. 
L. Frost, a forester who has been doing excellent work in the control 
of the gypsy and brown-tail moths in Arlington and other towns. A 
map (fig. 1) of the infested areas was prepared and accompanies 
this report. 
The present area infested by the gypsy moth, as shown by the care- 
ful examinations made, is substantially the same as at the close of the 
work by the State of Massachusetts. There has, in other words, 
apparently been very little extension in the area infested. Some 
important new colonies were discovered, but these were within the 
general limits of the old range of the insect. The failure of the gypsy 
moth to widely extend its range during the four years since 1900 is 
largely due to the fact, already noted, that at the close of State opera- 
tions against this insect it had been reduced to such inconsiderable 
numbers that it was not until the present summer (1904), or perhaps 
to a less extent in the summer of 1903, that it had gained sufficient 
headway to furnish favorable conditions for distribution and the 
establishment of new colomes. Its excessive multiplication in the 
summer of 1904 will very probably lead to considerable extension of 
its range, and many new colonies will undoubtedly be started this 
year (1905). 
The area of worst infestation, where general stripping of forests 
has resulted, extends in a broad avenue from Arlington and Winches- 
ter, or more properly from the western border of the Mystic Lakes, 
across Medford, including the southern edge of the Fells reservation, 
a portion of Melrose, and the upper half of Malden, and continues 
eastward through Saugus to the Saugus River. In this region the 
forests and the street trees are, as a rule, very generally defoliated 
and as bare as in winter, and altogether several thousands of acres of 
completely defoliated woodland occur in this strip. Spots of strip- 
ping ranging from 50 to several hundred acres, as indicated on the 
map by the cross-hatched areas, were found in Winchester, Lexing- 
ton, Woburn, northern Melrose, and Saugus; and there were also 
considerable areas bounding the northern side of the Lynn woods, 
a single large colony in the center of the Lynn woods just above 
