The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-02-18
THE GYPSY MOTH.
How an EntOmologist's CareIessness
Set Loose an Enemy to Trees.
Springfield (Mass) Cor. N. Y. sun.


Springfield Mass Cor. N. Y. sun.
Not so very long ago a scientific wiseacle of
this State wha had never had The pleasure OF
meeting with a gypsy MOTH, since the frivolous
creature nd not jOurneyed into the old Bay
State at the time, sent word TO friend in far
away land. the home of the insect, saying:
please send me gypsy moth right away; /
want 10 look al him; l want 10 study him." So
the friend, who was an obedient chap. went
into his garden, and with no trouble caught a
gypsy moth, one OF a large band of the moths
who were encamped there and had eaten
about everything in the neighborhood except
the house and the toughest parts of The fence,
aud lie pu. him IN ventilated box and mailed
HIM 10 the eutemolOgiSt in Massachusetts
The gypsy molh arrived safely at MS destina-
ton, ana the scientific sharp went 10 work
with his jackknife al his cage TO disentomb
him. He was so lively that he easily stood on
his bead and scraped his hind legs together in
the air, SO that the vie man might know, pet
haps that he was glad to know him. He was
Just as lively aft he had been carved out of
his mummy case, but the entOmolOgisl was
ght-lingeTed also, and lie eXpeTtly caught his
visitor by his TAIL feathers, and then went out
on MS We anGa 10 scrnlinize hiIh IN strong
light through his magnifyiDg-glass. But The
gypsy moth was smarter than The scientific
nau, evidently very much smarter, and he
had not Travelled over land ahd water
several thousand miles to be stuck on pin
aud o make an chronological Roman holiday.
He bided his time, and when the learned man
had I'll ped him over on his back, holding him
still by he tail, but with a slightly sackened
grip, and WAS about 10 chuck his microscope
down upon him, presto! he suddenly gathered
himself into knot, systematically yanked him.
self away from he glass, Slid down To The YER
Onda floor, and was of into The garden Ia a
jhv. The scientific man gaped at MN incredu-
lousy for an Instant, and set of along the gar
d n walk and across the green sward, treading
down sweat peas and clover blossoms in a per
fectly futile endeavor 10 Iecapture MIN. That
gypsy moth goI entirely away and never came
back, and keen and sore was the disappoint-
men OF the entomoogist tneTeat.
Sore. also, has been The disappointment OF the
old Bay Ssaie therefor ever stree The ,uckless
escape Of the gypsy moth took place a number
no means forgotten. The gypsy moth of the
scientific man followed the Biblical Injunction,
multiply and teplenish the EARTH" and the
point OF this history Is in the fact that that
little incident by which the entomologist let go
the tail athers of the gypsy moth has cost
the state of Massachusetts over 5000 900 In
the past four years. Soon after the gypsy moth
got away he Bay State had TO appoint a STATE
commission, whose business IL was TO GO and
tind him. together with bis progeny, and
the commission found him easily and 10 a large
majority. Each year now they keep on look lug
for and hnding him In steadily augmenting
horde No trouble at all. He rs always on
deck. Last years work of the commission, ac-
cOTding To a Springfield paper, "included the
examination or 4, 0OO, 900 trees and the destruc-
ION of 46. 100 egg clusters, ali belonging TO the
gypsy moth, and over 1000. 900 cater pillars
Now" comments The same journal, ian apprO-
priation OF $4,000 with which 10 find aud
fight The gypsy moth is asked, and il is a choice
b. tween constant fight to tile extermna ton
and the loss on The other hand OF something
like S1,OO0,OOO yearly by the ravages of The
pest"