THE GIPSY AND BROWN TAIL MOTHS 



9 



the infested section. It is only necessary to cite in this connection 

 an instance which illustrates what might take place. An acquaint- 

 ance stated that on returning to New York city last summer from 

 a visit to the infested region during caterpillar time, he brushed 

 from his person a gipsy moth larva which, it is needless to add, 

 was promptly destroyed. There is no guaranty that others were 

 not brought and it is somewhat disquieting to think of the possi- 

 bilities in the case of others proceeding directly from infested areas 

 to localities where this pest is still unknown. 



The insect can be conveyed long distances in the egg and it is 

 rather surprising that such has not occurred more frequently. 

 Any hard object remaining near an infested tree during July, while 

 oviposition is in progress, is very likely to bear one or more clusters 

 of eggs. There is great danger of the pest being carried with house- 

 hold effects to most distant points, specially if packed in boxes 

 and barrels which have been allowed to lie where the females could 

 deposit eggs upon them. The danger of the insect being spread 

 in this way is, in our opinion, much greater than of its being carried 

 by egg masses deposited on freight cars as mentioned above. 



Description. The great danger of this insect being brought into 

 New York State makes it advisable for all to be on the lookout 

 for this pest, and for this reason we have prepared a rather careful 

 notice of the species, giving particular attention to descriptive 

 details in order that the insect may be recognized and checked 

 before it has caused serious injuries. We further counsel great 

 moderation on the part of amateurs in attempting to identify this 

 species. A false statement regarding its occurrence may cause 

 serious injury to local interests, whereas the delay of a few days 

 necessary to secure an authentic determination will ordinarily be 

 of but little moment. 



The eggs of this insect, occurring from midsummer to the follow- 

 ing spring, appear very much like a small section of sponge. They 

 are deposited usually in round or oval masses [pi. i, fig. 8; pi. 7] on 

 a piece of bark and then covered with buff colored scales from the 

 underside of the female's abdomen. These egg masses may be 

 found on stones, in tin cans and in fact on almost any stationary 

 object near at hand, not excluding plantain leaves and other vege- 

 tation. They are particularly likely to occur on the undersurface 

 of limbs, fence rails, moldings, cornices etc., on houses. The 

 nearly globular, pale yellowish or salmon-colored eggs are about 

 jV inch in diameter [pi. 1 , fig. 9, 10] and there are usually 400 to 500 

 in a cluster, though occasionally 1000 may be found in an egg mass. 



