Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-06-27
STATE HOUSE.
Samples Of Brown Tail
Moth at Capitol.
quarterly Meeting Of State
Board Of Health.
Tue Proposed Bridge at BiagAan...-.Nsw
Corporations.
STATE HOUSE CALENDAR.
Next Meeting Of Governor and coun.
c" at = P. NJ, Thursday, June q.

NhrySorrhOea, or brown-tail moth. with
view of familiarizing themselves with
MS general appearance, SO that thew
may readily recognize the pest, should
they meet him in his native wilds, or in
their orchards, can do so by calling ~
me bureau of entomology. which is
iocated at the Capitol, in the Office of
the department Of agriculture.
Prof. +. F. Hitchings, the State entO-
inoioglst, secured n nest of the brown
tan moth In the early springtime, and
placed 1t in a cage specially made of
wood and wire screen, for the purpose
OF studying the pest in its different
stages, from the Matching of the little
caterpillars to the advent of the moth
itself. The cage has been kept supplied
with sprays Of the foliage of fruit trees.
for the caterpillars to feed upon. and
the propagation has gone on steadily.
Inc caterpillars retired to the seclu-
sion or their cOcOOnS, which they at
tached to the inside Of tie top of the
cage, some time ago, perhaps earlier
than they would have had they not
been subjected to the waym. dry air Of
the room in which they were kept, and
on looking at the cage, Monday morn
ing. 1t was discovered that the cocoons
had opened, and the occupants had
come forth.
The moths, about Is in all. were scat
tered about :he int arior o. the cage,
mostly in the top. AMI as it was day
time, were very quiet. They are a
pretty moth, though small, being as
white as snow. and will be easily recog-
niZeG from the descriptions which have
been SO faithfully circulated through
out the State. The female Is easily dis
tinguished from the male. by her SUI
periOr size, and by the large golden
brown tuft Of fine hairs at the posterior
end Of her body. which has given to the
insects their descriptive name.
1t has been said that the moths fly
mostly between the hours of 10 o'clock
at night and midnight. hut one young
lady at the Capitol, who has seen the
moths in Massachusetts,. said. yester-
day, that she had seen them flying dur
ing the early hours of the evening in
such numbers that they would almost
remind one of a srOwsquall. Prof.
Hitchings. also said in recent lecture
in Augusta, that they would sometimes
alight on the roofs of buildings in such
numbers that it would give the roof the
appearance of being covered with snow.
The moths which have been Matched
at the Capitol. however, are not
destined to increase and multiply, or to
do any damage, as they are to be
chloroformed. and given q place in the
collection of insects which has already
been started at the department.
Prof Hitchings has some other speci-
mems which are at present undergoing
the transformation from the caterpillar
to the butterfly, they being the Ordi-
nary elm tree caterpillar. These. how
ever. do not vast so much time in the
chrysalis state as their reighbOrs, the
brown-tail moths, as Trey were only
br ought into the department. Friday,
and on Saturday afternoon they COM
menced making their cccoons.
Monday morning there was not
caterpillar in sight. with the exception
of such parts Of their skin as they had
shed, and which lay on the bottom OF
the cage, but up in the top. each hang
ing by a slender silken thread. was
cluster Of cocoons. showing what had
become Of them.
These cOcOOns will open IN ABOUT III
or II days, and there will emerge from
each. instead of the rcpulsive cater
nil,ar which wound himself up in 1t, a
beautiful butterfly. These butterflies
arc what Is known as mourning CLOAK
butterflies. Vanessa antiOpa, and are
among the prettiest specimens Of those
which are found in Maine. They nave
an axnanse of wing measuring two and
one-half or three inches, the wings De-
| inc nurnle or reddish crown IN color'
hordered with yellowish or bun band.
within which is row of violet due
spots.
| These butterflies hibernate during .he
winter. and are on the wing III 'nc
spring before the snow Is gone. II Is
then that they lay their eggs TOT the
first brood, which matches IN June
The larvae mature in July, or carry III
Ang,st enter the chrysa,ls state, anu
.ho butterfly emergas in 10 or IL days.
Tic Same process Is undergone again.
ond tho second brood, on coming 10
.,.t,ritv produces the brood Whlch
ouerpes before fall and h'bernates.
| Ar the second quarterly meeting OF
L
,ha Stote Board of Health. held at the
C,nito, Monday, DR.. {. d. Smith, presl-
dent, Professor Robinson, Dr. u. M
Ivoodcock and the secretary. DR.. A. u.
v.,,,,c we're present. With the excep-
.,o,, of routine work. but little business
was transacted. An interesting verbal
," % was made by DR.. Smith on the
TWO conferences recently held in WASH
ington. and to which he Went n. n as I'm.
delegate of the State Board OF hea''n
"ne ne these conferences was that OF
,ne e encouragement of the public health attn
~. , ,nar,ne hospital service. with rep
resentatives of the state boards o.
health. Twenty-seven states were rep
secuted The two matters which were
aon.;dered were the establishment OF a
notional hospital for lepe:s. and SAM sam,
,a,,on for the prevention of typho'"
fever. ..,. NJ the
o,farepce of state and provincial
| ..,.h Ou, Of the matters up