WINTER MOTH ; EVESHAM MOTH. 161 



of darker colour down the back is probably (or, at least, in 

 part) from the food showing through the skin. When full- 

 grown they are about an inch long. 



Like others of the caterpillars specially known as "loopers," 

 this sj^ecies has, instead of four pairs of ^'sucker-feet''' below 

 the body, only one jxiir besides the ixdr at the end of the tail; 

 so that in walking it cannot progress forward continuously, 

 but has to bring the sucker-feet and tail-suckers forward to 

 where it is held firm by the claw-feet (see figure of Mottled 

 Umber Moth) ; thus it forms an upright "loop," whence the 

 name of " looper." 



Whilst still small and weak the caterpillars attack the 

 most tender part of the young growths, but gradually (in bad 

 cases) sweep everything eatable — buds, flowers, leaves, or 

 growing fruit — before them, until the ravaged tree, with the 

 remains of brown spun- up knots of leaves on it, looks as if 

 it had been scorched by fire. They prey on many kinds of 

 trees, besides the orchard trees where they are especially 

 injurious to us ; and when full-fed, which may l)e from the 

 middle to the end of May and sometimes as late as June, they 

 leave the trees (as far as is recorded, by letting themselves 

 down by their threads) and go down into the ground, where 

 they turn to chrysalids near the surface, from which most of 

 the moths come up in autumn. 



Some of the moths, however, remain in the chrysalis state 

 during winter, and do not come out until the following spring; 

 and the brood from these spring moths coming later than the 

 others accounts for the succession of appearance of young 

 caterpillars sometimes observed. 



Prevention and Eemedies. — The points to be considered 

 lie under three main heads : — 1st, how to keep the wingless 

 moths from gaining access to the trees for egg-laying; 2ndly, 

 if eggs are laid, how to destroy them or lessen their numbers 

 before hatching-time ; 3rdly, if caterpillars appear, how best 

 to get rid of them without injury to the leafage of the in- 

 fested trees. 



Various kinds of apparatus have been recommended, both 

 in Germany and America, — some of wood, some of bands of 

 tin applied in various ways, — in order to keep the wingless 

 moths from gaining access to the upper part of the trees ; 

 but there are various objections to the use of these (at least so 

 it appears to me), partly from the care that has to be taken 

 to prevent harbourage of eggs, &c., beneath them, and partly 

 from the expense. Therefore though I believe that attention 

 continues to be drawn to their application from time to time 

 in this country, I do not myself especially recommend them, 



M 



