750- The American Naturalist. [August, 
ENTOMOLOGY. 
The Work of the Gypsy Moth Commission.'—For the last 
three years an experiment of great entomological interest has been in 
progress in the vicinity of Boston. About twenty-five years ago there 
lived in Medford, Mass., a man who experimented with silk worms of 
various kinds. Among other species which he had imported from 
Europe was that known asthe Gypsy Moth—an insect that in Germany 
is very destructive to a great variety of trees and other plants. Some 
of these insects escaped and began developing in the neighborhood. 
They continued to multiply for many years until they became a plague 
to the community. The entomologist of the State Agricultural Col- 
lege was appealed to, and finally the Legislature appropriated $50,000 
to be expended under the direction of a Commission appointed by the 
Governor, “to prevent the spreading and secure the extermination of 
the Ocneria dispar or Gypsy Moth in this Commonwealth.” The Com- 
missioners thus appointed remained in office about one year, when the 
work was turned over to a Committee of the State Board of Agricul- 
ture, consisting of Professor N. S. Shaler, Francis H. Appleton and 
Secretary Wm. R. Sessions. This committee soon called into consulta- 
tion a number of prominent entomologists, and later appointed Pro- 
fessor C. H. Fernald entomological adviser. Mr. E. H. Forbush was 
elected director of field work. 
Since the time of these appointments additional appropriations have 
been made and the work of extermination has been vigorously prose- 
cuted. A large force of men has been kept at work fighting the insect 
in all its stages. The infested area has been accurately determined and 
every precaution has been taken to prevent its further spread. The 
- results already obtained are very remarkable: where three years ago 
every green thing was alive with the worms, during a recent visit I had 
difficulty i in finding any. The localities in which the insect is still 
present in numbers are comparatively few and are receiving so much 
attention from the director that a year hence they will be still fewer. 
An idea of the general methods of work may be obtained from the 
following extract from the Director’s first report: “ It was at once seen 
that the work of crushing out the species would be an arduous task. 
1 Edited by Dr. C. M. Weed, New Hampshire College, Durham, N. H. 
*Reports of the Mass. Board of Agriculture on the Extermination of 
Oeneria dispar, 1892 and 1893. 
