COMMON VAPOURER BIOTH. 323 



yellow chrysalis, from which the moth comes out in summer 

 at the end of about fourteen days. 



The male moths are of various shades of brown or chest- 

 nut, with the fore wings clouded with darker colour, and with 

 a white, somewhat moon-shaped, mark near the hinder angle. 

 The females are grey, and have only abortive wings. When 

 they come out from the chrysalis they creep on to the outside of 

 the yellowish grey somewhat oval cocoon, and there pairing 

 takes place. The female very soon begins depositing her 

 eggs on the surface of the cocoon and in the immediate neigh- 

 bourhood, and then dies. 



It was observed by Edward Newman ('Brit. Moths,' p. 40), 

 "that these eggs do not hatch all together, like those of moths 

 in general, but come out a few at a time over a period of ten 

 weeks, so that the caterpillar, chrysalis, and moths, are all 

 found together throughout the summer and autumn." The 

 eggs of the late moths which remain unhatched through the 

 winter were seen, when under special observation by Dr. 

 Taschenberg, to hatch out their caterpillars about the 23rd of 

 April. This infestation is found both in town and country, 

 and I have had specimens from various localities, some from 

 Porchester Terrace, London, where the infestation had done 

 much mischief. 



Prevention and Eemedies. — As the female moth cannot 

 fly away, the attack may be expected (if once set up) to 

 continue and to increase yearly. Careful measures to get rid 

 of it at once when observed are therefore well worth while, 

 and the fact of the moth laying her eggs on or near the 

 webbed-up leaves or the cocoon may be turned to good 

 account. 



Where bad attack is noticeable, all the webs that can be 

 reached should be cut off and burnt, and walls (where infested 

 trees were fastened against them), and boughs, and any 

 places where webs with eggs on them are likely to be, should 

 be searched, and the webs or cocoons destroyed. 



Syringings with soft-soap and other applications, such as 

 are used in the case of other moth-caterpillar attacks, would 

 be of use when the caterpillars were attacking the leafage, — 

 also for preventing the moth developing from the chrysalis, 

 and coming out of the cocoon, — and also for clearing away 

 the infestation from the branches, or trunks, or neighbouring 

 shelters. 



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