SPINNING CATERPILLARS. 



289 



A no less remarkable winter nest, of a small species of 

 social caterpillar, is described by M. Bonnet, which we 

 omitted to introduce when treating of the Glanville fritil- 

 lary (page 151). The nest in question is literally pendulous, 

 being hung from the branch of a fruit tree by a strong 

 silken thread. It consists of one or two leaves neatly 

 folded, and held together with silk, in which the caterpillars 

 live harmoniously together. 



Pendulous leaf-nests, from Bonnet, 



In a recently-published volume of ' Travels in Mexico,' 

 we find a very remarkable account of some pendulous nests 

 of caterpillars, which appear to be almost as curious as the 

 nests of the pasteboard-making wasps, described at p. 74, 

 The author of these Travels does not define the species of 

 caterpillar whose constructions attracted his observation. 

 He says, " After having ascended for about an hour, we 

 came to the region of oaks and other majestically tall trees, 

 the names of which I could not learn. Suspended from 

 their stately branches, were innumerable nests, enclosed, 

 apparently, in white paper bags, in the manner of bunches 

 of grapes in England, to preserve them from birds and flies. 

 I had the curiosity to examine one of them, which I found 

 to contain numberless caterpillars. The texture is so strong 

 that it is not easily torn ; and the interior contained a 

 quantity of green leaves, to support the numerous progeny 

 within."* 



* Hardy's Travels in the Interior of Mexico, p. 32. 



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