1909.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT -No. 73. 67 



so that their numbers can be kept down so as to be unnoticed from 

 an economic point of view? They are now known to be scattered over 

 d,140 square miles, notwithstanding that in America they have fought 

 them with excellent methods; and it seenis to me impossible, at least 

 not probable, that an artificial warfare should be kept up against such 

 insects all over the territory infested. Therefore, the fight ought to be 

 continued as much as possible, as under your direction it has been 

 started, especially along the roads, to prevent the carrying of larva on 

 vehicles of every kind into the surrounding territory. Also, I think 

 It IS necessary that the infested area should be decreased as far as 

 possible without observing the expense in such a case. 



In regard to the artificial suppressive measures used in fighting the 

 gypsy and brown-tail moths, it seems to me that at the present none 

 could be better than those used by you. Notwithstanding, therefore, 

 all that the financial power of North America can accomplish in com- 

 bating artificially these insects, I am convinced that they will not 

 succeed by such means in preventing the invasion of other States in 

 the future; and that, notwithstanding the enormous expense which 

 is annually sustained by private individuals, municipalities, the State 

 and the nation, there will always be great damage. Such being the 

 hard facts, I am only able to give my praise, with that of the other 

 eminent entomologists, to the one who first thought of introducing the 

 parasites of the gypsy and the brown-tail moths from Europe and 

 Japan to assist in the fight against them. I believe that to none other 

 less capable than Prof. L. 0. Howard should be confided the direction 

 of this work of introducing and rearing the parasites of the two in- 

 jurious lepidoptera, and I fully approve the methods followed in the 

 shipment of the parasites from Europe and Japan, — a good method, 

 which only experience and skiU can improve. The methods which I 

 have seen in practice at the laboratory at Melrose Highlands for the 

 care of the parasites collected from Europe and Japan, and the methods 

 used in the breeding of the same, appear to me good; also, the results 

 already obtained in acclimatizing the Calosoma sycophanta are almost 

 incredible. This insect is a beetle which is most active in Europe in 

 all stages of larva and adult in destroying the larvae of the gypsy 

 moth, and there is much hope to be placed on the work of this first 

 enemy now secured in this fight ag'ainst the gypsy moth. I, for my 

 part, do not doubt of the acclimatization in America of various species 

 of parasites from the different orders of Hymenoptera and Diptera 

 which have been and will be introduced; also, I have no doubt of their 

 value in the fight against the gypsy moth, provided they are introduced 

 without their secondary parasites. I have seen that at the laboratory 

 at Melrose Highlands the greatest care is used in separating the primary 

 from the secondary; but to lay particular stress on this part of the 

 work on the parasites will not be superfluous, above all, that care 

 should be taken to make sure of the true degree of worth of the para- 



