204 EXPERIxMENT STATION. [Jan. 



in Dorchester, where it is quite abundant. The caterpillar 

 feeds upon the leaves of a large number of our more common 

 fruit and shade trees. While it is yet too soon to determine 

 whether it will become a serious pest, the experience this 

 State has had with the gypsy and brown-tail moths has been 

 of such a nature that it is the part of wisdom to investigate 

 all such importations as this, and be at least prepared for the 

 worst. The insect has already shown that it can live in our 

 climate, that it can become quite abundant, and that it has 

 few if any enemies. At the present time in Asia it is present 

 over twenty degrees of latitude, corresponding to the distance 

 from Florida to Labrador in this country. A bulletin giving 

 all the information thus far obtainable about this insect has 

 already been issued, and further studies of it will be made 

 the coming year. 



The other subjects outlined in this report have taken so 

 much time that little has been done along the line of special 

 research, only one paper having been published, though sev- 

 eral topics are now in hand, and the work on them occupies 

 the few odd minutes not taken by other duties. 



Insects of the Year. 

 The insects which have caused much loss in Massachusetts 

 during 1906, as indicated by the corresjDondence of the station 

 and also by personal observation, have been of many kinds. 

 The condition of this State as regards the San Jose scale 

 has already been described, and the correspondence about this 

 pest has been very great in amount. In connection with this, 

 the oyster-shell scale, the scurfy scale, the rose scale, the 

 white pine scale and several kinds of Lecaniums have re- 

 quired a considerable amount of attention. Many letters with 

 reference to the gypsy moth and brown-tail moth have also 

 been received, and have either been answered from here, or 

 the writers referred to the Gypsy Moth Commission, which 

 now has charge of the work of controlling these insects. The 

 elm-leaf beetle is gradually becoming more abundant, and 

 has again reached the point where its numbers are sufficient 

 to greatly injure the appearance of our elms. During the 

 spring months an unusual abundance of the spiny elm cater- 



