23 



Danger of Spreading. 



"The fact that this insect has now been in this country for 

 the last twenty years, and has not only held its own but has 

 multiplied to such an extent as to cause the entire destruction 

 of the fruit crop and also to defoliate the shade trees in the 

 infested region, is sufficient cause for alarm. The citizens of 

 Medford are immediately interested, but the entire Common- 

 wealth and country are threatened with one of the worst 

 insect pests of all Europe. In 1817 the cork-oaks of 

 southern France suffered severely from the attacks of this 

 insect. One of the papers of that time stated that the beau- 

 tiful cork-oaks which extended from Barbaste to the city of 

 Podenas -were nearly destroyed by the caterpillars of the 

 gypsy moth. After having devoured the leaves and young 

 acorns they attacked the fields of corn and millet, and also 

 the grass lands and fruit trees. 



" In 1878 the plane trees of the public promenades of Lyons 

 were nearly ruined by this same insect. Only last summer 

 ( 1889) I saw the moths in immense numbers on the trees in the 

 zofUogical gardens of Berlin, where the caterpillars had done 

 great injury ; and the European works on entomology abound 

 with instances of the destructiveness of this insect. When 

 we consider its long list of food plants, we can see how 

 injurious this insect may become if allowed to spread over 

 the country and become established. 



"The opinion was expressed to me by prominent entomolo- 

 gists in Europe, that if the gypsy moth should get a foothold 

 in this country it would become a far greater pest than the 

 Colorado potato beetle, because it is so prolific, and feeds on 

 so many different plants, while the potato beetle confines 

 itself to a small number. 



Description of the Insect. 



" The males (Fig. 1) are of a yellowish brown color, with 

 two dark brown lines crossing the forcwings, one at the basal 

 third, the other on the outer third, somewhat curved, and 

 with teeth pointing outwards on the veins. The outer end 

 of all the wings is dark brown. A curved dark brown spot 

 (reniform) rests a little above the middle of the wing, and a 



