No. 4.] THE GYPSY MOTH. 311 



Entomologist's Report. 



To the Members of the Gypsy Moth Committee. 



Gentlemen : — Upon receiving the appointment of entomological 

 adviser from you last June, I visited Maiden and other localities 

 infested by the gypsy moth, and made a careful inspection of the 

 work of destroying this insect. Repeated visits were made during 

 the summer and fall, as often as my time would allow or the cir- 

 cumstauces seemed to require. So far as I could judge, the work 

 was carried on in the most practical, efficient and economical man- 

 ner, and the results obtained were all that could be expected, 

 considering the magnitude of the undertaking. 



It was not expected that the insect could be exterminated in a 

 single year ; the most sanguine person who went over the infested 

 territory and saw the obstacles to be overcome must have realized 

 that it would be the work of time, and would be attended with 

 great expense. 



Much has been learned concerning the habits of the insect, 

 which will prove of great value in the field work next year ; and 

 many species of native parasites have been discovered destroying 

 the gypsy moth during the past summer, some of which have 

 proved to be among the most useful in destroying or holding our 

 native injurious insects in check, while others have proved to be 

 new to science. It should be remembered that parasites, when 

 left to themselves, do not wholly exterminate an insect pest, but 

 that they reduce its numbers greatly, thus aiding the work of 

 destruction. It is not wise, therefore, to leave the work of 

 destruction to the parasites, but to so conduct the work that all 

 the assistance they can give may be secured. 



It would be a very grave mistake, in my judgment, to abandon 

 the work of destroying the gypsy moths ; but by far the wisest 

 course to pursue will be to make so liberal an appropriation that 

 the work may be carried on in the most vigorous manner over the 

 entire territory, and so reduce the number of moths and extent of 

 territory by local extermination as to cause the work to decrease 

 in extent year by year, and therefore in expense. This is un- 

 doubtedly a case where very liberal appropriations at first will 

 prove the most economical in the end. 



That the presence of this insect in eastern Massachusetts is a 

 great evil, and expensive to our taxpayers, no one will deny ; 

 but, if it should spread over the entire State, it will prove a far 

 greater evil, and its extermination an utter impossibility ; there- 

 fore, of these two evils it seems to me to be wise to choose the 



