70 



GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 



Rbpoet oi' De. L. 0. HowAKD, Chief of the Bureau of 



EnTOMOLOGT, "WASHIIirGTON-, D. C. 



United States Department of Agriculture, 

 Bureau of Entomoloqt, Washington, D. C, Jan. 4, 1909. 



Mr. L. H. WORTHLBT, Acting Superintendent for Suppression of Gypsy 

 and Brown-tail Moths, 6 Beacon Street, Boston, Mass. 

 Sir: — I have the honor to submit a brief report of my efforts dur- 

 ing the period since I submitted my last report to you, on Jan. 20, 

 1908, to import the foreign parasites of the gypsy and brown-tail moths 

 into Massachusetts. 



Respectfully yours, L. 0. Howard, Chief of Bureau. 



At the time of -writing my last report the active work of the season 

 in this direction was practically completed. In the autumn the para- 

 site laboratory was moved from Saugus, Mass., to Melrose Highlands, 

 Mass. The new location is much more accessible to Boston and to 

 most of the field colonies of the parasites. The buildings, including 

 several substantial structures built for laboratory purposes by the 

 State of Massachusetts, are much better fitted for the work. Upon 

 the whole, the results of the year's importations have been very 

 promising. 



In planning the work several features have been introduced. The 

 parasites that are constantly being sent over by agents belong to three 

 main groups, namely, those of the order Hymenoptera, including the 

 Ichneumon flies, the Chalcis flies, and others; those of the order Dip- 

 tera, including the Tachina flies; and those of the order Coleoptera, 

 including the predaceous ground beetles. The amount of material re- 

 ceived has been so great, and the character of the different life his- 

 tories of the insects involved has been so diverse, that it has seemed 

 of great importance to have a thoroughly trained expert, skilled in the 

 biology of each group, placed in charge of each group. This has been 

 done, and one expert has had charge of the Hymenoptera, another of 

 the Diptera and another of the Coleoptera. Further, the condition 

 of European sendings by mail and by express during the summer of 

 1907 was by no means uniformly good. The sendings from eastern 

 Europe, which are subject to long railway journeys, in addition to 

 the sea voyage, frequently arrived in bad condition. Therefore, an 

 innovation was made, and a general laboratory depot was established 

 at Rennes, France, under the general supervision of Mr. Rene Oberthiir, 

 and a skilled assistant, Mr. A. Vuillet, was placed in specific charge. 

 Nearly all of the European sendings were shipped to Rennes, were 

 examined, repacked, carried personally by Mr. Vuillet to Cherbourg 

 or to Havre on the known days of sailing of certain steamers, then 



