No. 4.] THE GYPSY MOTH. 355 



towns. While this was being done, the woodland in the 

 inner towns was necessarily neglected, with the result that 

 in places where no egg-killing had been done earlier in the 

 season, owing to the exhaustion of the appropriation, the 

 caterpillars were doing much damage and were also spread- 

 ing over more territory. 



The small amount of the appropriation would not admit 

 of exterminative work all over the infested territory, and, 

 in order to prevent the moth from spreading into new terri- 

 tory, outside the towns already infested, the outer towns 

 have been closely attended to throughout the season. The 

 condition in these towns is encouraging. Most of the 

 colonies in the outer towns are apparently exterminated and 

 the spread of the moth into new territory has been pre- 

 vented. AVe have, however, to report that two colonies 

 have been found in Brookline, a town adjoining the boundary 

 of the infested territory as heretofore reported. The dis- 

 covery of the moth in Brookline in 1896 is not to be taken 

 in any sense as indicating that the insect has spread into that 

 town from older infested territory since the committee's last 

 report, or within a year. The two colonies are not newly 

 established, but are several years old ; and, had the com- 

 mittee had sufficient means to carry out their plan inaugu- 

 rated several years since, viz., to carefully examine all towns 

 contiguous to the outermost infested towns, both these 

 colonies would have been found before. This examination 

 has been pursued from year to year as means could be spared 

 from the work in known infested territory, and Brookline 

 has this year had its first thorough examination. This work 

 has been repeatedly reported as necessary, and lack of means 

 only had prevented its being done in Brookline previous to 

 1896. An effort has been made during the season to stamp 

 out these colonies, but considerable work will need to be 

 expended on them the coming year. 



Every efibrt warranted by the amount of money available 

 has been made to prevent injury by the moth in the central 

 infested towns, and as far as possible to prevent an increase 

 in the number of the moths. This efibrt has been successful 

 in the inhabited and cultivated territory. The same cannot 

 be said of the woodland, of which we have heretofore re- 



