Trees, Shrubs, Vines and Plants. 375 



The adult moth is pure white, except at the end of the body, 

 which bears a tuft of golden brown hairs, which has given the in- 

 sect its name. It measures about an inch between the tips of the 

 extended wings, and flies at night during the first half of July. 

 The moths are active and are attracted to lights, and may often be 

 seen clustering around street lights. They lay their eggs in clus- 

 ters on the leaves of trees, mingled with brown hairs from the end 

 of the body, which conceal the eggs themselves, and an egg cluster 

 may contain from 200 to 400 eggs. These hatch during August, 

 and the little caterpillars feed in company, and when abundant 

 may skeletonize the leaves, causing them to turn brown. 



In September each cluster of caterpillars passes to the tip of a 

 twig and here spins a web, drawing together a number of leaves 

 for the purpose. These webs or nests of silk and leaves are quite 

 small, being perhaps three or four inches long, and generally an 

 inch or two across, and are very tough and resistant to attempts to 

 tear them open. In these tents the caterpillars winter, leaving 

 them as the buds open and the leaves begin to grow in the spring. 

 The caterpillars now scatter in all directions, feeding on the buds 

 and leaves, and become full grown about the middle of June. 

 They then pupate among the leaves, and from these pupae the 

 moths appear in July. 



The caterpillars are quite general feeders, but their favorite 

 food plants are perhaps the fruit trees, the oaks, maples and elm. 

 Two reddish spots on the back, one behind the other and not far 

 from its hinder end, make the recognition of this caterpillar easy. 



Besides the injury to the trees which this insect causes, it is the 

 source of much discomfort and even of suffering to persons where 

 it is abundant. The caterpillar bears numerous finely barbed and 

 brittle hairs, some of which, at least, are also poisonous, and 

 when the caterpillars molt, pupate, or the adults escape from 

 the pupa, these hairs seem to become liberated and are carried by 

 the winds. When the hairs strike the human skin, they appear 

 to work their way into it and produce a severe irritation known as 

 the " brown-tail rash." Cooling mixtures may be used to relieve 

 this, such as 



