New Britain herald., 1914-04-14
UNDESIRABLE ALIENS
 CAUSE OF TROUBLE
Government Urges Perpetual War Against Pest Breeding immigrants.


 recent seizure by the New York cus- toms authorities of the village of meadow ants which Mrs. c. w. Morse wished to bring with her from Europe is only an. episode in the perpetual war waged against undesirable immi- grants, human, anin-al and vegetable. Mrs. Morse's village, like the one which reached Philadelphia about a fortnight before, was probably a by4product of the increased interest in nature study but the United States government not only ddscourages such aids to amateur reesarch but abso- lutely prohibits them. By a. law passed in 1905 the importation of liv- ing insects into this country Is for bidden and there are other laws which regulate so strictly the importation of larger animals that in many cases no discretion is left to the authorities. Nevertheless tourists and amateur scientists are continually endeavoring to introduce additions to the flora and fauna of the United States which the United States is happy to be without. It Is estimated that fully one-half of the pests that afflict farmers and
 
 abroad, many. of course by accident rnents but some brought in deliberate ly by misguided enthusiasts or thoughtless travellers.
 Automobile Proves Ally.
 Strangely enough, the automobile has proved an ally of the moth. Not only does it stir up currents of air which scatter the fallen and infected foliage but it actually carries insects many miles into districts which have hitherto been immune. And on one occasion some years ago there is every reason to believe that deliberate at tempt was made to spread the pest. Eggs said to have been found in Cali fornia were sent to the department of agriculture for examination and for a time it seemed certain that in some unaccountables way the pest had travelled across the entire continent. Investigation revealed the fact, how ever, that the man who forwarded the eggs had previously been employed in lighting the moth in Massachusetts Upon the arrival of a scientist at tached to the department, he left hts home and remained without address until the investigator had departed. There were no further reports of the gipsy moth in California. <
 Brought as Curiosities.
 More enterprising travellers have at various times attempted to bring in as a curiosity the Australian Flying Fox. Unknown in this country this overgrown bat. which at its largest, raeasures more than five feet across the tips of it's wings. is one Of the great pests of Australia. In their .'camps' if1 the dense scrub of gullies and swamps, they may be seen by the thousands. crowded so thickly on the trees that branches are frequently broken by their weight, Their nightly raids i11 search of food cover con- siderable distances and they are es- pecial1y partial to figs, bananas, peaches and other soft fruit. Var ious expedients have been tried to protect the orchards but hitherto these have proved more expensive than successful. On one occasion some hundred thousand foxes were shot at an expense to the government of New South Wales for. powder and. shot of thirty cents each. A little later wholesale destruction by means of dynamite and other high explosives was attempted. The foxes avoided the trees that had been SO carefully charged and the explosives did no harm.
 Increase Not Feared.
 In the case of large animals it is not their own increase which is feared but that of the diseases and parasites that they bring with them. Recently. for example. six llarnas were shipped from Peru, one of them intended as a present, it was said, to Secretary Bryan. They were all ex. cluded. not because anyone feared that we would be overrun by es- caped and rapidly propagating llamas, but for the simple reason that they had the mango and might spread 1t. Moreover under no circumstances would they have been permitted to enter the country. since the law, pro- hibits the importation of live stock from South America on account of the prevalence there of the dreaded hoof and mouth disease. The owners of the llamas would have spared themselves trouble and expense had they ascertained this fact little earlier. y. ssaa
 It would. in fact, be greatly to the advantage of all concerned if every returning traveller who contemplated bringing with him bird, beast or plant. should remember that what is Interesting is not always welcome. 1t is so much easier to introduce a dis ease than to stamp 1t out, to breed undesirable creatures than to exter- minate them. that curiosity, whius. sentiment or even scientific interest hardly compensate the country for unnecessary risks
 STTVYATTONS VIA Nrrrr>