SUBFAMILY I. BACUNCULIX.E. 135 



little until after the first mentioned trees are stripped. The underbrush 

 was also effectually cleaned of its foliage, and the insects hung from and 

 clung to the bare twigs and branches in great clusters. They settled to 

 roost on the witch-hazel, but did not defoliate it until the other trees men- 

 tioned were pretty bare. Sumach and thorn were also little affected, while 

 peach and apple in an adjoining orchard were untouched. Whenever they 

 had entirely stripped the trees and shrubs they moved in bodies to fresh 

 pastures, crowding upon one another and covering the ground, the fence 

 rails, and everything about them so that it was impossible for a person to 

 enter the woods without being covered by them. The timber affected 

 could be recognized by its seared and leafless appearance from a great 

 distance, and upon entering the woods the ear was greeted by a peculiar 

 seething noise, resulting from the motion of the innumerable jaws at work 

 on the leaves. Their depreciations first began to attract attention soon 

 after wheat harvest, and were most noticeable in September. The injury 

 to the trees done in 1874 and 1876 was manifest in the death of most of 

 the black oaks, and, according to the owner's observations, trees die in 

 three years after the first attack." 



The eggs, of which each female lays about 100, are a little less than 

 3 mm. in length, long oval in shape and of a polished black color with a 

 whitish stripe on one side. They resemble a small, plump bean or seed 

 of other leguminous plant. They are simply dropped loosely upon the 

 ground from whatever height the female may happen to be, and says Ri- 

 ley: "During the latter part of autumn where the insects are common, one 

 hears a constant pattering, not unlike drops of rain, which results from 

 the abundant dropping of these eggs, which in places are so thick among 

 and under the dead leaves that they may be scraped up in great quanti- 

 ties. The eggs remain upon the ground all through the winter and hatch 

 for the most part during the month of May. Some of them, however, con- 

 tinue hatching much later, so that all through the summer and even into 

 the fall, young individuals may be found. When first hatched the young 

 measure 4.5 mm. and with their feelers and legs outstretched, near dou- 

 ble that length. They are invariably, during early life, of a pale yellow- 

 ish-green color. The insect changes very little in appearance from birth 

 to maturity except so far as color is concerned, and moults but twice. 

 Growth is rapid, averaging, under favorable circumstances, about six 

 weeks from birth to adult. With age the green color gives way to various 

 shades of gray and brown. In this way we find great correspondence 

 with its surroundings. While the vegetation is green, the walking-sticks 

 are green also; when the foliage turns in autumn, they change color cor- 

 respondingly, and when the foliage is stripped they so closely resemble, 

 both in appearance and color, the twigs upon which they rest the habit 

 of stretching out the front legs and feelers greatly enhancing the resem- 

 blance that when they are few in number it is difficult to recognize them. 

 A few green specimens, more particularly of the males, may always be 

 found, even among the mature individuals." 



Tt will be noted that Riley, in the above account, which was 

 the first one attempting to give in detail the life history of D. 



