MELITiEA I. 



all hands wova busy in repairing and strengthening, working Ijoth within the 

 webs and without. 



The largest of those structures was long an<l narrow, tapering at either end, 

 about three inches l)road in the middle, and so thick and closely woven as to 

 conceal the interior. For egress while at work, two somewhat tubular openings 

 were h>ft on the middle of one side, and the tlireads about these wei'e doubled. 

 To support this large web the upper part of a stem of swamp grass, which was 

 growing in same tub, was bent down, and its broad and spreading leaves were 

 bound over the surface, and this with the stem of Chelone was still' enough to 

 resist the wind. After the larvae had ceased work and finally retired within the 

 web, a slight covering was spun across the outlets, sufficient evidently to throw 

 off water and to keep out spiders. Two or three days later, about 20th July, 

 the third moult was pas.sed. and thenceforward the larva^ did not leave the web. 

 biit entered on tlieir period of rest, which would endure till the following April. 

 Watching the same stages in the swamp, the same peculiarities were to be 

 noticed. In .some cases very large wel)s were constructed, ;uid the one repre- 

 sented on the Plate was 11x4 inches at its extremes. In nearly all cases, 

 assistance from other plants Avas sought to support the stem. And the com- 

 pleted webs were not confined to Chelone but were often Ijuilt on other plants 

 at some distance, one to three feet from the food plant. I thought at first that 

 such })lants must also liave been eaten of by the larvae, but could find no evi- 

 dence of it, and larva> wliich I kept meanwhile confined in glasses would eat of 

 no leaf but Chelone. 



8ix weeks later, the webs were found to be bleached white, and were weather- 

 worn and considerably shrunken ; often distorted too l)y the growth of the plants. 

 The effect of the shrinkage was to compress the larva^ into a hard, compact mass. 

 On opening some of the webs, I invariably ibund a small percentage of larvae 

 which had not passed the third moult. The condition was not that of torpidity, 

 nor even of lethargy, for there was an immediate and general movement on the 

 disturbance being made, and many of the larva^ would attempt to escape. I 

 brought home some of tlu'in and placed them upon a young plant of Chelone, 

 but they showed no disposition to feed, nor to construct another web. They ran 

 over the leaves for a few hours till the whole plant had been thoroughly explored 

 and then left it, betaking tliemselves to the grass. 



1 made an excursion to the swamp 7tli April, 187-'). to determine, if possible, 

 how early the caterpillars left the web ; ])ut I found them already scattered, 

 though the food-plant was as yet scarcely above the water. Several caterpillars 

 which I brought home were placed on a clump of the plant in a vessel of water, 

 to prevent escape, and sticks were set to give them opportunity to rest after 



