Supplement to 



Home IRature * Stub^ Course 



Published by the College of Agriculture of Cornell University, 

 in October, December, February and April and Entered October 

 X, 1904, at Ithaca, New York, as Second-class Matter, under 

 Act of Congress of July 16, 1894. 



ANNA BOTSFORD COMSTOCK, Editor 



New Series. Vol. II. ITHACA, N. Y., FEBRUARY-MARCH, 1906 No. 3 



INSECT STUDY 



THE EGGS OF THE TENT CATERPILLAR 



It is well to cultivate the eye to see these egg masses 

 in the winter in our orchards for every egg mass left on 

 the tree means devastation to its foliage next summer. I 

 confess that I always do enjoy looking at a "good job " 

 whatever it may be or whoever performed it. Thus it is 

 that I never look at one of these egg masses carefully 

 without paying admiring tribute to the moth which so 

 cleverly constructed it. First of all, there is the color 

 which is so nearly the color of the bark of the twig that 

 the egg mass is protected from prying eyes ; then I admire 

 the way the eggs are laid so smoothly around the twig 

 and covered with a fine coat of varnish that keeps out 

 rain and dampness. And after removing the varnish and 

 examining with a lens I admire more than all the white, pj^ 

 thimble-shaped eggs, which are held in place by a net- 

 work of cement. (Fig. 2.) 



i.—Egg 

 masses of ap- 

 ple tree tent 

 caterpillars. 



QUESTIONS 



Go into the orchard and look for these egg masses and gather as 

 many as you can find. The wild cherry trees along the fences will usually 

 give you plenty of specimens. 



1. Study one carefully with a lens if possible and describe it. 



2. Where on the tree do you find the egg masses ? 



3. What are the advantages to the insect of passing the winter in 



thi.s way? 



4. What are the enemies of these eggs? 



767 



