38 



THE GYPSY MOTH. 



while engaged in the execution of the purposes of this act, shall 

 be 25unished by a fine not exceeding twenty-five dollars for each 

 offence. 



Sect. 7. It shall be unlawful for any person to knowingly 

 bring the insect known as the ocneria dispar or gypsy moth, or 

 its nests or eggs, within this Commonwealth ; or for any person 

 knowingly to transport said insect, or its nests or eggs, from any 

 town or city to another town or city within this Commonwealth, 

 except while engaged in and for the purposes of destroying them. 

 Any person who shall offend against the provisions of this section 

 of this act shall be punished by a fine not exceeding two hundred 

 dollars or by imprisonment in the house of correction not exceed- 

 ing sixty days, or by both said fine and imprisonment. 



Sect. 8. To carry out the provisions of this act a sum not ex- 

 ceeding twenty-five thousand dollars may be expended. 



Sect. 9. This act shall take effect upon its passage. 

 jproved March 14, 1890. 



The Commission of 1890. 



In accordance with the provisions of the act of March 14, 

 Governor Brackett appointed a salaried commission, consist- 

 ing of Warren W. Rawson of Arlington, then a prominent 

 member of the State Board of Agriculture, Dr. Pearl 

 Martin of Medford and J. Howard Bradley of Maiden. 



The commission organized in Medford, March 22, with the 

 choice of Mr. Rawson as chairman and Mr. Bradley as 

 secretary and general superintendent. The records show 

 that in April, Mr. Samuel Henshaw of the Boston Society of 

 Natural History was appointed entomologist to the com- 

 mission. Headquarters were established in Medford, and 

 meetings of the commission were held almost daily until the 

 last of July and several times per month during the rest of 

 the year. 



The commission began its labors by a partial inspection 

 of the known infested district, for the purpose of discovering 

 and marking the infested trees, shrubs and other objects. 

 The infested trees were marked with a red tag. The moth 

 was soon found in many localities outside the restricted dis- 

 trict to which it was at first supposed to be confined. This 

 district did not exceed one-half mile in width and one and 

 one-half miles in length. The inspection of 1890 justified 



