NARRATIVE OF PROGRESS OF WORK. 
57 
After Portici, Florence was visited, where a conference was held 
with Prof. A. Berlese, of the Royal Station of Agricultural Ento- 
mology, and his assistants Drs. Del Guercio and Ribaga. It seemed 
that no occurrences of either the gipsy moth or the brown-tail moth 
were known that season in Tuscany or adjoining portions of Italy. 
Prof. Berlese spoke of the destruction of an outbreak of the gipsy 
moth, in southern Italy some years previously by a disease which 
he considered to be identical with the pebrine of the domestic silk- 
worm. He promised to keep up a watch for occurrences of the 
pests and wherever possible to assist in the introduction of parasites. 
A few days were then spent in Lombard y, searching for the larva? 
of either of the injurious species, but without success. Then, pro- 
ceeding to Vienna, the celebrated Natural History Museum was 
visited and the well-known curator of Lepidoptera, Dr. Hans 
Rebel, was interviewed. Dr. Rebel stated that both the gipsy 
moth and the brown-tail moth were to be found rather commonly 
in parts of Austria, and it was decided to employ a professional 
collector to assist in the work of shipping larva 1 to Boston. 1'pon 
Dr. Rebel's recommendation, Mi*. Kritz Wagner was employed. 
Mr. Wagner was and is a resident of Vienna, is well versed in the 
subject <>f European butterflies and moths, aud perfectly familiar 
with all the best collecting places for many miles about Vienna. 
Mr. Wagner accompanied the writer on several expeditions. The 
first trip was taken to the suburbs of Vienna, and there the first 
European specimen of the gipsy-moth larva was found. It was 
resting on the trunk of a locust tree by the side of the street, and 
further examination showed that there were a hundred or more 
caterpillars on the trunk and limbs of the same tree. There was 
some evidence of parasitism, and the white cocoons of a microgaster 
parasite ( A /><i nt> l< s fulvipes Hal.) were found here add there in 
the crevices of the bark. This particular tree ami another one, 
to be mentioned later, indicate very well the condition of the gipsy 
moth in Europe. A hundred nearly full-grown larva- were present, 
but there w is hardly any evidence of defoliation. A trained ento- 
mologist walking by the tree would not have noticed that insects 
had been feeding upon it to any serious extent. On the other 
hand, a similar tree in any of the small towns about Boston would 
have carried not 100 larva?, but probably some thousands, and at 
that time of the year would hardly have had a whole leaf. These 
specimens were collected and sent to Boston. 
Later a trip was taken into tho country to the battlefield of Wa- 
gram, and here on two roadside poplars was found another colony of 
the caterpillars ranging in size from the second stage to full-grown 
larva?. There was here more extensive evidence of parasitism by 
