58 GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 



in the subsequent work in the colonies by Mr. F. H. Mosher, 

 who has been connected with the laboratory since its inception. 

 Mr. A. F. Burgess, who has been connected with the work 

 against the gypsy moth upon several occasions in the past, was 

 detailed by the Federal Bureau of Entomology to work upon the 

 several species of predaceous beetles ; and Mr. C. H. T. Town- 

 send, who has vdde experience and national reputation in his 

 particular line, was similarly detailed in charge of the Tachinid 

 parasites. 



This division of the laboratory work has made possible a 

 much more thorough investigation into the habits and biology 

 of the insects studied. While this work has of necessity been 

 more or less technical, in part, it has been the aim of those 

 concerned to eliminate all purely technical features, and to 

 confine the investigations to those phases in the life of the 

 insects which were in some way associated with the actual 

 and practical work of importing and liberation under conditions 

 which should be as favorable as could possibly be secured. 



Importations have been received from all of the central 

 European countries, as hitherto, and in addition a large amount 

 of material was secured from Japan, through the efforts of 

 Prof. Trevor Kincaid of the University of Washington, Seattle, 

 who spent the entire season in Japan as an agent of the Com- 

 monwealth. It was through him that the enormous numbers 

 of cocoons of the Japanese Olyptapanteles were received. This 

 insect has long been known as one of the most important of the 

 natural enemies of the g^psy moth in Japan, and each year 

 since the parasite work was begun attempts have been made to 

 secure it; but invariably the parasites have been dead upon 

 receipt, and it became evident that it was necessary to employ 

 especial care in the collection and packing of the material and 

 shipment in cold storage before success could be expected. 



This most difficult task was most ably accomplished by 

 Professor Kincaid, who made satisfactory arrangements with 

 the steamship companies, devised a package by the aid of which 

 not only the parasite cocoons themselves, but the young para- 

 sitized caterpillars of the gypsy moth itself, were shipped suc- 

 cessfully. In addition to this, his industry in collecting the 



