191 



amining tlie umbrella care should be taken not to reject 

 them. 



In some places large, wbite, dense -webs occur fre- 

 quently on the hedges in Jxnie. They are generally 

 apparent to the eye of every one, but are passed with 

 little notice. To the entomologist they are more attrac- 

 tive, as he knows or conjectures that they are the work 

 of some insect. They are, in fact, nests of the beautifal 

 larvae of Clisiocampa neustria. On sunny days they may 

 be seen basking together and often side by side on the 

 surface of the web, and are then conspicuous objects ; in 

 cloudy or wet weather, on the contrary, they stay within 

 and are then not seen. In taking these, the branch on 

 which the web is spun should be cut off below and all 

 taken together. Sometimes, however, if the larvae are 

 on the outside, they will drop on being shaken, and 

 against this the entornologist must guard. Those thrive 

 well in the large cage. A little later in the season the cater- 

 pillars of Eriogaster lanestris occur gregariously in similar 

 situations and webs ; they are also somewhat similar in 

 their habits. 



To forget and neglect those which have already gone 

 into pupa would be throwing away past trouble ; and as 

 some may be coming out now into butterflies or moths, 

 it is necessary to have a constant watch on those cages 

 which contain them. When a specimen is newly hatched 

 it has its wings folded up, but as soon as it has gained a 

 suitable position the wings gradually expand ; at first 

 they are moist and soft, but they soon stiffen. Speci- 

 mens must always be allowed to stretch and dry their 

 wings before they are killed, otherwise they are of no use. 

 A good criterion in judging when to kill tliem is to test 

 their ability to fly : if they can do so well tliey may be 

 piit to death. 



August finds us on a ramble to the sandhills in pur- 



