26 
It must further be j)remised, iu order that a distinct understanding 
of the statements may be had, that from the standpoint of a person 
unfamiliar with the conditions no portion of the infested territory con- 
tains at preseut many Gipsy Moths. The residential portions of the 
closely connected villages, where many colonies have existed in pre- 
vious years and which at times in former years have been overrun 
with caterpillars, now contain almost none. Practically the whole of 
this residential portion (except Maiden and Medford), including even 
the farming portion with its orchards, has been burlaped this season 
wherever the insect has been found within the last three years, and, in 
general, it is safe to say that only a few caterpillars have been found 
in any one locality. The workers have found it easy to distinguish 
between spots where an undiscovered egg cluster has been the pre- 
vious winter and those where a straggling caterpillar or two have been 
brought in from more thickly infested woodland districts, as well as 
those where there have been only a few scattered eggs — no single 
sound egg cluster. 
Where one or two egg clusters have hatched the present year, the 
colony is called a bad one in this residential district, so near to exter- 
mination has the work progressed ! Practically, then, the insect can be 
found in numbers only in the woodlands. But from the fact that vehi- 
cles are constantly being driven through the territory every summer 
numerous caterpillars are conveyed from the woodlands into the vil- 
lages, but are then almost invariably caught under the burlap bands. 
This scattering of caterpillars by carriages and carts has shown the 
committee, now that extermination is approaching and now that they 
have a good grasp on the entire territory, that the working policy 
must be altered to some extent* Instead of devoting a great majority 
of the funds to the outskirts it is necessary to at once reduce all colo- 
nies where the insects are present in number to what may be termed an 
"innocuous condition," since, so long as a single colony exists in which 
the insects are numerous, there will always be these stragglers, which 
may at any time start a new colony. How much depends upon this 
work may be illustrated by the fact that in the fall of 1897 a man was 
discovered carting leaves from one of the worst infested regions in the 
Medford woods into Somerville. A reinfestation of Somerville would 
probably have resulted. Experience has also shown that every sum- 
mer at commencement time a few caterpillars are brought by visitors 
to the campus of Tufts College. 
After this explanation the statements concerning the present condi- 
tion of the infested towns will be perfectly understood. 
ARLINGTOX. 
In the 1891 inspection this town was found to be badly infested, both 
in the woodlands and the open and cultivated lands. At present the 
territory east of Spy Pond is practically clear. Only two caterpillars 
