REPORT OF STATE ENTOMOLOGIST, 1898 181 
forth. It has even been stated by Mr H. C. Raymond, of Iowa, that 
the eggs often hatch in the autumn and that the vitality of the larvae 
enables them to winter successfully in that latitude. According to Riley, 
the eggs frequently hatch during an early warm spell and before there is 
anything for the larvae to feed upon, they subsisting for a time upon the 
glutinous matter surrounding the eggs. At first the nests are very small 
and afford little protection to their inmates, but as the caterpillars never 
move without spinning a thread and frequently crawl over their tents, the 
nests soon become much denser and afford considerable shelter from the 
weather. Many have probably noticed that the nests or tents are composed 
of a series of layers of silk with just about room enough between for the 
caterpillars and they may have wondered how the larvae began a new 
layer. The explanation given by Dr Fitch is simplicity itself. During 
fair weather the caterpillars frequently rest in numbers on the outside 
and stray individuals may be seen crawling over their resting com- 
panions, spinning as they go, and at the same time beginning a new 
layer of silk. Dr Fitch states that on damp or rainy days they remain 
in their nests, but during fair weather they usually feed for a time in the 
morning, again in the afternoon and once during the night. These 
habits are subject to considerable variation, being affected to a great 
extent by the weather. As the larvae approach maturity, they forsake 
the nests and wander singly in all directions, feeding on whatever they 
can. At this stage they will pupate upon the slightest provocation. More 
than once have I put a caterpillar of this species in a box, only to find a 
cocoon the next morning. ‘The instinct that prompts them to wander at 
this time is undoubtedly a wise provision for their safety, for it insures 
their pupation in widely separated places and renders them less likely to 
be destroyed. Early in June the cocoons of this species are spun on the 
trunks of the trees, on the under side of fence rails, under the eaves of 
buildings and in many similar places promising shelter. An interesting 
deviation from the general habit the caterpillars have of each spinning a 
cocoon, is that recorded by Miss Allie C. Simonds, of Fayetteville, Ark., 
who reported that numbers of individuals spun large irregular cocoons in 
common, as many as seven or eight pupae being found crowded together 
in one without any separating partitions (/wsect life. 1895. 7: 4209). 
The caterpillars transform within the cocoons to brown pupae and 
remain in this state for about three weeks, according to Fitch and Riley. 
Prof. Slingerland, as a result of certain trap lantern experiments, records 
taking the moths from June 17 to July 18, at Ithaca, N. Y., in 1889, the 
great majority being taken between June 22 and July s. 
