38 



this insect the female moth flies readily, and being caught by the Avind is 

 often transported great distances. The caterpillars do not spin down 

 from trees to the same extent as those of the gypsy moth but are no doubt 

 more or less transported by vehicles. However, the main and important 

 distribution of the moth takes place during the flying season. In addition 

 to the eftect of the wind, these insects are also strongly attracted to light. 

 It results, therefore, that a swarm of moths arising from any infested spot 

 and being drifted by the wind out of their immediate environment fly to 

 the nearest mass of lights Thus the centres of cities and towns become 

 first infested, and here are established the colonies from which a more 

 general infestation takes place. Electric ears, railroad trains and even 

 steam-boats serve to transport the moths The writer has repeatedly 

 seen them, attracted by the lights, enter into the street or steam cars and 

 be carried for many miles. 



A reliable observer, Mr. A. M. Cobb, Maiden, Mass., reports that when 

 the Bangor boat of the Eastern Steamship line was passing some miles 



oft' Marblehead, early in July of the pres- 

 ent year, a large swarm of the brown- 

 tail moths came aboard and completely 

 covered parts of the vessel. Dr. James 

 Fletcher, entomologist. Central Experi- 

 ment Farms, Ottawa, Can., has recently 

 reported finding brown-tail moths near 

 the wharves of St. John, N. B. We know 

 that in seven years' time the small colony 

 at Somerville has spread throughout the 

 whole eastern part of ^Massachusetts, through southern New Hampshire 

 and well into Maine. This rapid spreading of the insect indicates that 

 within a few years it will be well distributed throughout New England.. 



Life History. 



The brown-tail moth lays from two hundred to four hundred small' 

 globular eggs, thickly covered with a mass of brown hairs from the tip 

 of the abdomen of the moth. The typical egg mass is about two-thirds 

 of an inch long and about one-quarter of an inch wide. While the eggs 

 are occasionally deposited on branches or trunks of trees, or even on 

 lamp posts or house walls, a very large majority are laid on the under 

 surfaces of the leaves of fruit and shade trees. The moths show a strong 

 liking for pear trees, and will apparently seek out trees of this species in 

 preference to any others. At the same time the apple, wild cherry and 

 white oak are very commonly infested by the insect, while other trees 

 sutt'er to some extent. 



The eggs, laid in July, hatch the following month, and the young cater- 

 pillars, feeding in a mass, soon commence their work of spinning their 

 winter webs. In making this web a number of leaves in the vicinity of 

 the egg clusters are drawn together and are carefully spun in with a 

 tenacious silken web. From this web the caterpillars go foi'th to feed 

 on warm days, returning at night, and with the approach of cold weather 

 enter the web and close with exit holes. We then have the strange phe- 



