960 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



reduce or destroy the species, but for more than a score of years they 

 have in no wise suffered from frosts or drouth or excessively wet seasons. 

 It is the part of wisdom to face the issue ; we should see that our genera- 

 tion has in this matter no right to trifle with the right of the generation to 

 come. Our forests are next after our fields the natural basis of our 

 prosperity. It is evident that they are endangered by the presence of 

 this enemy. 



Means of dispersal. One of the redeeming features about the gipsy 

 moth is the fact, previously noted, that the female moth does not fly. 

 This compels the insect to rely on other agencies to a great extent for its 

 distribution over the country, because, though the partly grown cater- 

 pillars are good travelers, they can not, relying on their own efforts, cover 

 great distances. Experience with the insect has shown that people and 

 vehicles constantly passing from an infested area to a clean one are 

 among the most efficient carriers of the pest in the caterpillar stage. The 

 insect can be conveyed long distances in the egg, and it is rather sur- 

 prising that such has not occurred more frequently. Any hard object 

 allowed to remain near an infested tree during July, while oviposition is 

 in progress, is very likely to be infested with one or more clusters of 

 eggs. The intelligent, energetic officials, who were in charge of the 

 work against the gipsy moth, took special pains to prevent such dissemi- 

 nation, but now that nothing is being done, there is great danger of the 

 insect being carried with household effects to most distant points, 

 specially if packed in boxes and barrels which have been allowed to lie 

 where females could deposit eggs on them. Fortunately for New York 

 state, this pest is most abundant north and northwest of Boston, and 

 with this area we have no direct railroad communication, but as the 

 infestation becomes greater along the line of the Fitchburg railroad and 

 extends to include the terminus of the Boston and Albany line, the 

 danger of the insect being brought into the state will be very largely 

 increased. 



Natural enemies. This insect has a number of natural enemies in 

 this country, but unfortunately none of them are aggressive enough to 

 warrant the placing of much dependence on them, though they should be 

 encouraged by all possible means, 



Mr Forbush states that about a dozen native song birds are very useful 

 in devouring one stage or another of this moth and that about 25 other 

 species will feed on it to a slight extent, or more largely when their usual 

 food is rather scarce. The most useful birds are the yellow and black- 

 billed cuckoos, Baltimore oriole, catbird, chickadee, blue jay, chipping 

 sparrow, robin, red-eyed and yellow-throated vireos and crow. 



