No. 4.] THE GYPSY MOTH. 289 



" The carpet beetle (in Massachusetts commonly known as the buffalo- 

 bug) (Anthrenus scrophularice, Linn), first known in this country in the 

 year 1872, has been recognized as a common species throughout a large 

 part of Europe for more tlian a century. While in several portions of 

 the United States its ravages on carpets have excited serious alarm in 

 housekeepers, and have threatened to compel a resort to uncarpeted 

 floors, no instance is known of its ever having been detected in feeding 

 upon carpets in Europe, although stated to be injurious to furs, clothes, 

 animal collections, and even leather and dried plants. More frequent 

 reference is made by European writers of the occurrence of the beetle 

 upon flowers than of the larva in houses. (Hagen, in ' Canadian 

 Entomologist,' x, 1878, p. 161.) 



" The increased ravages of our introduced insects result from the new 

 conditions under which they are here placed. The relations that during 

 the lapse of centuries have grown up between them and their food- 

 plants, their insect parasites, the birds and other animals that preyed 

 upon them, whereby a balance and an interdependence had become 

 established, have all been broken up. When brought to our shores they 

 find, perhaps, more abundant food, of a character more acceptable 

 and attractive to them. But, mainly in their importation, their natural 

 parasites and the enemies which had kept them in subjection have been 

 left behind, and they are free to ply their destructive work and to ' in- 

 crease and multiply ' without hindrance or molestation, unless some of 

 our native parasites shall at length acquire the habit of preying upon 

 them, and other foes discover that they are ' good for food.' " 



As an instance of the increased destructiveness of introduced insects, 

 the case of the grape phylloxera {Phylloxera vastatrix) is well known. 

 This insect is a native of America, and was carried to Europe in some 

 way, where it was first noted in France by Professor Planchon, in 1868. 

 It has been long known in America as an insect which does considerable 

 damage to the leaves of native grapes, but before its introduction in 

 France it was never considered a serious pest in this country. Since 

 1868, notwithstanding the most vigorous efforts to destroy it and prevent 

 its spread, it has increased to such an extent and become so destructive 

 as to almost annihilate the vineyards of sovithern France. Notwithstand- 

 ing a reward equal in value to sixty thousand dollars, offered by the French 

 government for the best means of destroying it, and an expenditure by the 

 same government which was increased year by year, and which was in 

 1882 two hundred thousand dollars, it continued to spread, and its rav- 

 ages since have probably cost several hundred millions of dollars. Hun- 

 dreds of thousands of acres of vineyards have been rooted up and burned. 



