EGG PARASITES OF THE GIPSY MOTH. 187 



instance, so far as the above-mentioned colony was concerned, the 

 results were the same, and there seems to be no doubt that, in this 

 narticular locality at least, the species has become extinct. 



In the spring one large colony of the Schedius was planted coinci- 

 dently with the distribution of the 100 lots of parasitized eggs for 

 colonization by the State forester's agents, and for two months fol- 

 lowing weekly collections of eggs were made with the expectation that 

 a partial •spring generation would follow. None of these collected 

 egg masses produced the parasite, and again it failed to come up to 

 that which was expected of it. 



In the fall, as has already been mentioned, very large collections of 

 eggs made in the vicinity of that which was considered to be the best 

 and most promising of the colonies of 1909 failed to produce Schedius, 

 and at the same time numerous smaller collections were made in each 

 of the other colonies of 1909, as well as in a considerable number of the 

 spring colonies of 1910. In only one of the colonies of 1909 was the 

 Schedius recovered, and this, curiously enough, from that in which 

 every attempt had been made to secure evidence of spring repro- 

 duction. Here it was found in one direction from the center of the 

 colony only, and over a rather limited area. In the immediate vicin- 

 ity of the colony site (within 100 yards) none could be found. 



The collections which were made in each of the other colonies of 

 1909 were followed by curiously similar results. The parasite was 

 recovered in one of them, and in one only, and although collections of 

 eggs were made in all directions from the center and at varying 

 distances, parasitized egg masses were only found in a limited area 

 to one side and some distance away. 



It was pretty conclusively demonstrated that the larvae and 

 pupae of Schedius could not survive the rigor of the winter, and it is 

 very difficult to say whether the recovery of the parasite in this 

 last-mentioned instance is indicative of its ability to survive the 

 winter as an adult. In 1909 a quantity of the adults was placed in 

 a small cage in the open before the beginning of severe weather, and, 

 although mortality was heavy, some of them lived for a long time 

 after all of the younger stages were destroyed. None of them lived 

 through until spring, but there is nothing to prove that they would 

 not have done so had they had their choice of situations in which to 

 hibernate. 



It may be that females successfully hibernated in the instance of 

 this colony, which appears to have lived throughout one year in the 

 open. It may also be that the recovery of the species under these 

 conditions is the result of dispersion of the individuals from some of 

 the many spring colonies, several of which were located within a not 

 unreasonable distance of this spot. It will require another year to 

 demonstrate the truth of the matter. 



