THE BROWN-TAIL MOTH/ 



HISTORY. 



The brown-tail moth was probably introduced into this 

 countr}^ at Somerville, Mass., on nursery stock imported 

 from Europe about 1890. Not until 1897 did it attract the 

 attention of the Massachusetts Gypsy Moth Commission, 

 whose agents thoroughly investigated the pest. No funds 

 were then available for controlling it, though the Legislature 

 passed a law "requiring the local authorities to suppress 

 the brown-tail moths," and the Massachusetts Board of 

 Agriculture determined its spread. In 1898 the work of 

 controlling this insect was placed in the hands of the Massa- 

 chusetts State Board of Agriculture, with $10,000 of the 

 funds appropriated for the gypsy moth available for such , 

 work. Since that time the control has been in the hands 

 of the local authorities. 



In Europe this is one of the oldest and best known of the 

 caterpillar pests, being called the "common caterpillar."" 

 It has been known there since the times of the earliest 

 writers upon insects and natural history, excellent accounts 

 of it having been written nearly three centuries ago. It is 

 common over Central and Southern Europe, Western Asia 

 and Northern Africa, and extends north into Sweden. 



SPREAD AND DISTRIBUTION. 



Occurring over a dozen towns when first recognized in 1897 

 and there being at no time a well-organized effort having 

 sufficient funds for its control, the pest spread rapidly and 

 in December, 1899, the first of its winter nests was found 

 in New Hampshire, at Seabrook. Its spread since that time 

 is approximately shown on the map, figure 1. Portsmouth 

 and the coast towns became infested in 1901 and 1902 and 

 in the spring of 1903 they were found to comprise the in- 



^ Euproctis ehrysorrhoea L. 



