9 



to the matter during that year, and the identity of the form with the 

 well-known European species was determined by Messrs. Fernald and 

 Kirkland. 



An investigation was at once made as to the probable time. and 

 method of introduction. The fact was established that the moth had 

 been in Somerville for several years previous to 1897, gradually be- 

 coming acclimated and slowly spreading outward into non infested 

 territory. The balance of evidence seems to indicate that the species 

 was probably introduced from Holland or France upon rose bushes 

 imported by a florist in Somerville about 1890. 



Down to 1897 the spread of the insect had evidently been slow, but 

 the danger was imminent, and during the spring of that year the 

 writer, together with a representative body of Massachusetts agricul- 

 turists and officials, appeared before the governor of the State and 

 urged the passage of an appropriation bill providing means for its 

 extermination. Six thousand dollars was appropriated by the legis- 

 lature to be expended by the gipsy-moth committee of the State board 

 of agriculture. Careful examination showed that at that time fifteen 

 towns were infested, the insect being found upon 2,226 estates. As 

 much as could be done was done under the appropriation, and a certain 

 amount of work was carried on during the following two years. Then 

 all State appropriations- were stopt, both against this insect and the 

 gipsy moth, and for five years the insect spread unchecked except by 

 the work done by individual property holders and town-improvement 

 societies. 



In 1899, when the work stopt, an area of approximately 928 

 square miles was infested, extending from the ocean along the New 

 Hampshire line to the western border of the town of Methuen, thence 

 practically directly southward to Newton, and thence the limiting 

 border extended gradually in a southeasterly line to Cohasset, includ- 

 ing the entire suburbs of Boston. In 1903 a report was published by 

 the State of Massachusetts, under the authorship of C. H. Fernald and 

 A. H. Kirkland, giving a full account of the insect and indicating that 

 between the autumn of 1899 and that of 1902 nearly 600 square miles 

 of territory had been added to the American range of the species, 

 which had spread out to Kittery, Me., and had included a large por- 

 tion of southeastern New Hampshire. One occurrence at St. John, 

 New Brunswick, was reported also. 



By the close of 1905 the two lower tiers of counties in New Hamp- 

 shire had become generally infested, and specimens had been sent in 

 to the State entomologist of New Hampshire from the White Mountain 

 region. Notable flights of the moths had been observed at Nashua, 

 Concord, and Portsmouth. In Maine the insect had been found scat- 

 tered along the coast at various places Portland, Rockland, and 

 8272 No. 26406 2 



