8 BULLETIN 204, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
used at the laboratory are of original design and have been constructed 
for the purpose of furthering the gipsy-moth investigations. Much 
valuable information of a biological nature has been secured which 
is not only of direct value to the parasite phase of the gipsy-moth 
work but has been found useful in connection with insect problems 
in various parts of the country. 
RECENT COLONIZATIONS AND RECOVERY OF IMPORTED JPARASITES. 
During the past two or three years careful investigations have 
been carried on to determine the increase and spread of the different 
parasites. In the summer of 1914 this work was in charge of Mr. 
S. S. Crossman. As large a number as possible of the different 
species have been liberated in the remote parts of the infested area 
for the purpose of securing the establishment of these valuable 
species over the entire territory at the earliest possible date. In 
the fall of 1913 Anastatus bifasciatus was recovered from 41 towns 
and the parasitism in the collections secured averaged about 30 
per cent. From one collection over 43 per cent of the eggs had been 
destroyed by this insect. As a result of the collection made during 
the winter, 1,561 colonies of this species, totaling 1,561,000 speci- 
mens, were liberated; 1,047 of the colonies were placed in 12 towns 
in Massachusetts and 514 in three towns in New Hampshire. This 
insect spreads very slowly, hence it is necessary to liberate many 
colonies. The plan which is being used is to place a sufficient num- 
ber of colonies in a town so that no further colonization in that town 
will be necessary. The work on this insect required the collection 
in the fall of 1913 of about 7,500 gipsy-moth egg clusters and these 
were secured from over 100 selected localities. 
In the fall of 1913, 33 towns were colonized with Schedius Jcuvanae. 
The number of colonies placed in a town varied from 1 to 10, depend- 
ing on the gipsy-moth infestations. Most of the colonies were liber- 
ated in the southern part of the infested territory in Massachusetts, 
as it was believed that this section would be favorable for the survival 
of the species during the winter. In all 110 colonies were liberated, 
containing over 375,000 individuals. This species spreads more 
rapidly than Anastatus, so it is not necessary to place as many 
colonies in a given area. Over 14,000 gipsy-moth egg clusters were 
collected from about 100 selected localities within the area bounded 
by Exeter, N. H., and Berlin, Bolton, and Mashpee, Mass. This 
material was used at the laboratory to secure records of the percentage 
of parasitism in colonies that had been liberated in previous years. 
The spring of 1913 was very favorable for Apanteles lacteicolor, and 
it was recovered from 69 towns. This was the result of collections 
of 92,000 brown-tail moth webs, a supply coming from every one of 
