﻿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 
  shght 
  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. 
  

  

  