'27(1 CKRAsrs VMKJINIANA. 



PinjKif^fition. Tli> Viriiiiiian clioiiy is iisiuilly pr(1|)a^^^to(l from soeds, which 

 may he trcatt'tl. iii all res|H'i-ts, like thoso of the ( 'i-rasiis viil<;aiis. 



insects. It has often heeii ri'iiiarUed tliat the h-aves of the wild elicrry are 

 more suhjeet tn ilie attacks of caterpillars, than those of any other tree. Among 

 those which are reuarded as its worst ent my, are the American lackey-caterpil- 

 lars, (J/isinr/mi/iti finicriniitd. of Harris. The e<;gs, Ironi which they arc hatihed, 

 are placed around the ends of the i)raiiches, fornnng a wide kind of ring or hrace- 

 let, consistmg of three or four hundred eggs, in tiie form of short cylinders stand- 

 ing close together, on llieir ends, and covered with a thick coat of hrownisli, 

 water-proof varnish. The caterpillars come forth with the inifolding of the 

 leaves. "^I'lie tirst signs of their activity appear in the formation of a little angu- 

 lar weh or tent, somewhat resendiling a spider's web, stretched between the forks 

 of the branches, a little below the cluster of eggs. Under the shelter of these 

 tents, in making which, they all work together, the caterpillars remain concealed 

 at all times, when not engaged in eating. In crawling from twig to twig, and from 

 leaf to leaf, they spin from their mouths a slender silken thread, which is a clue 

 to conduct them back to their tents; and as they go forth and return in files, one 

 after another, their pathways, in time, become carpeted witli silk, which serves 

 to render their footing secure during their frequent and periodical journeys in 

 various directions, to and from their common habitation. As they increase in 

 size and age, they enlarge their tent, surroundins: it, from time to time, with new 

 layers or webs, till at length it attains a diameter of eight or ten inches. They 

 come out together, at certain hours, to feed, and all retire at once, when their 

 regular meals are finished; during bad weather, however, they fast, and do not 

 venture from their shelter at all. When fully grown, they measure about two 

 inches in length. They may be known by their black heads, and a whitish line 

 extending along the top of tlie back from one end to the other, on each side of 

 which, in a yellow ground, are numerous short and fine crinkled lines, that form 

 a broad, longitudinal, black stripe, or rather a row of long black spots, one on 

 each ring, in the middle of each of which is a small blue spot; below this, is a 

 narrow, wavy yellow line, and lower still, the sides are variegated with fine, 

 intermingled, black and yellow lines, which are lost at last in the general dusky 

 colour of the under side of the body: on the top of the eleventh ring, is a small, 

 blackish, hairy wart, and the whole body is very sparingly clothed with soft, 

 short hairs, rather longer and thicker upon the sides than elsewhere. At the 

 age of about seven weeks, they begin to quit the trees, separate from each 

 other, wander about for a while, and finally secrete themselves in some crevice 

 or other place of shelter, and make their cocoons. These are of a regular, oblong- 

 oval form, composed of thin, and very loosely woven webs of silk, the meshes of 

 which are filled with a thin paste. From fourteen to seventeen days after the 

 insects have spun, the chrysalides burst their skins, force their way through the 

 wet and moistened ends of the cocoons, and appear in the winged or miller form. 

 These moths are of a rusty or reddish-brown colour, more or less intermixed wii'i 

 gray on the middle and base of the fore-wings, which, besides are crossed by two 

 oblique, straight, dirty-white lines. They expand from one inch and a quarter, 

 to one inch and a half, or a little more and appear in Massachusetts, in great 

 numbers, in July, flying about, and often entering houses by night, at which 

 period they lay their eggs. Many of the caterpillars, however, are unable to 

 finish their transformations, by reason of weakness, especially those which are 

 unable to leave with the rest of the swarm, but make their cocoons within the tent. 

 Most of these will be found to have been preyed upon by little maggots living 

 upon the fat within their bodies, and finally changing to small, four-winged 

 ichneumon wasps, which, in due time, pierce a hole in the cocoons of their vie- 



