^60 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



than it would if the full appropriations asked for by the 

 committee had been granted ; but, nevertheless, it will be 

 a far wiser policy to make the necessary appropriations for a 

 term of years and completely exterminate the insect, than 

 to allow it to become a perpetual expense to the people of 

 this Commonwealth as well as to the whole country. 



In the early part of the summer, by your direction, I 

 invited Prof. F. L. Harvey of the Maine State College, Dr. 

 G. H. Perkins of the University of Vermont, Prof. J. H. 

 Comstock of Cornell University, Ithaca, N. Y., and Prof. 

 L. O. Howard, entomologist of the Department of Agricult- 

 ure, Washington, D. C, to visit the infested territory, 

 inspect the work and give us any suggestions that might 

 occur to them. I went to Maiden with Dr. Perkins, and 

 later with Professors Howard and Comstock, and together 

 with Director Forbush went over the infested territory with 

 them, giving them every possible opportunity to see the dis- 

 tribution and work of the insect, the apparatus and methods 

 of destroying it and the various experiments then in prog- 

 ress. The reports which these gentlemen were so kind as 

 to make are appended to this report. 



A long series of experiments was conducted under my 

 direction on insecticides, and their action on this peculiar 

 insect and its life-history was more fully worked out than 

 had been done before. Several new predaceous insects have 

 been found destroying the caterpillars of the gypsy moth. 

 These are : Polistes pallipes (St. Farg.), Calosoma calidum 

 (Fab.), Calosoma scrutator (Fab.), Calosoma sayi (De J.), 

 larvas of Harpalus caliginosus (Fab.) and Ilarpalus penn- 

 sylvanicus (De G.), Podisus cynicus (Say), Podisus serie- 

 ventris (Ulil.) (the last two determined by Professor Uhler) ; 

 and two species of ants were found destroying the cater- 

 pillars, and the females also while laying their eggs were 

 sometimes destroyed by these ants. Mr. Pergande deter- 

 mined these ants to be Camponotas yennsylvanicus (De G.) 

 and Formica suhsericea (Say). Large and small workers 

 of this last species were both found destroying the gypsy 

 moth. Several species of Diptera were bred from the 

 gypsy moth, and have been referred to Dr. Williston for 

 determination. A species of Hymenoptera, which was 



