THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 233 



preservation. They are supposed to be well out of reach of many sorts 

 of enemies in their hiding places. Some years ago, the late Dr. L. K. 

 Hayhurst, in charge of a construction force on one of the railroads run- 

 ning south from Sedalia, Mo., wrote me that his men had cut down a 

 hollow tree, which broke with the fall and disclosed quite a number of 

 butterflies, of different species, in hibernation. For myself, I have never 

 seen a butterfly in that condition. 



The larvae of Atalanta are remarkable for the construction of cases or 

 pouches in which from the first stage to last they live concealed, and find- 

 ing them so plenty, I set myself to watch their operations. But first I 

 read up the history so far as books at my disposal gave it. The accounts 

 in these books are very meagre, and but half correct. The fullest is given 

 in Newman's Nat. Hist, of Br. But., pp. 62-3, where we read : " The egg 

 is solitary, laid here and there on the leaves of the stinging-nettle ; almost 

 immediately after emerging from the egg, the little caterpillar draws 

 together the leaves of the nettle and feeds in concealment ; as it increases 

 in size, it requires more space, and continues to increase the size of its 

 domicile up to the period of pupation ; I have never met with it feeding 

 exposed. . . . When full-fed, it constructs a somewhat more elaborate 

 retreat ; it gnaws through the petiole of a leaf, or eats the main stalk of the 

 nettle within a few inches of the top, not quite separating it ; the part thus 

 almost separated falls over and completely withers, and this luithered por- 

 tiofi is formed into a compact retreat, secured from casualties of weather 

 and from the inspection of birds ; from the roof of this the caterpillar 

 suspaids itself . . and in two days becomes . . a chrysalis," &c. 

 (The italics in all the quotations given are mine.) 



Dr. Harris, Ins. 1862, p. 294, says : " It deposits its eggs in May tipon 

 the youngest and smallest leaves of this plant (Nettle), not " here and 

 there," as Newman has it, ''■being cautious to drop only otie upon a single leaf. 

 As soon as the caterpillar is hatched, // spiiis a little web to cover itself 

 securing the threads all around to the edges of the leaf, so as to bend upward 

 the sides and form a kind of tt'ough ifi which it remains coticealed. One etid 

 of the cavity is open, and through this the caterpillar thrusts its head while 

 eating. It begins with the extremity of the folded leaf, and eats downwards, 

 and as it gradually consumes its habitation, it retreats backwards, till at 

 last, having, as it 7vere, eaten itself out of house and home, it is found to 

 abandon its imperfect shelter, and construct a new one. This is better than 

 the first ; for the insect has become larger and stronger, and withal, more 



