THE LOBSTER. 65 



gradually the entire egg assumes a dull purplish colour. " On 

 the tenth day the caterpillars hatch out. When they Ihst leave 

 the shell they appear extremely large, this is partly on account 

 of the long legs and the caudal appendages which are ever 

 nervously twisting about. The young caterpillars most carefully 

 keep guard over their own egg-shell, which is to them an all- 

 important item, as this provides them with their first meal — 

 the first and only food they take for seven days, in fact, for a 

 longer period, as it is not until after moulting their first skin 

 that they eat any other food. This fact I proved over and 

 over again, as, being an invalid, my time was cjuite free to watch 

 them hour after hour and day after day. As soon as they have 

 eaten their way out of the shell they stretch themselves, and then 

 from time to time nibble portions of the white chitinous-looking 

 egg-shell, and a tough morsel it seems to be for them ; but they 

 never leave it for more than an inch or so, and then rapidly 

 come back. They keep nervously moving around and about 

 this, and if perchance another caterpillar should approach within 

 touch of it, a vigorous attack is made to drive off the intruder. 

 All going well during the first hour or two, the whole of the shell, 

 or sometimes not more than from half to two-thirds of it is con- 

 sumed ; and once the caterpillars really leave the egg-shell, that 

 is, walk away from it, they do not touch it after. If by any 

 chance a young caterpillar gets driv^en away from the egg-shell, 

 death is certain to result, as I could never induce them to feed 

 on portions of empty shells left by others ; nor would they eat 

 the leaves or the brown stipules of the beech, which it has 

 been suggested they do eat. In no single instance did they 

 eat other food in their first skin save and alone the one meal of 

 their own egg-shells." 



The caterpillars feed on beech, and also occasionally on birch, 

 oak, hazel, and some fruit trees, and may be found from July to 

 September. 



The chrysalis, which is enclosed in a tightly woven cocoon 



F 



