﻿332 
  ANNUAL, 
  REPORT 
  SMITHSONIAN 
  INSTITUTION, 
  1922. 
  

  

  grayish 
  line 
  along 
  the 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  body. 
  Most 
  of 
  the 
  segments 
  have 
  

   pale 
  rear 
  margins 
  above, 
  which 
  are 
  often 
  bright 
  yellow 
  or 
  orange 
  

   on 
  the 
  fourth 
  to 
  the 
  seventh 
  segments. 
  There 
  is 
  usually 
  a 
  darker 
  

   line 
  along 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  the 
  back. 
  The 
  body 
  is 
  covered 
  with 
  long 
  

   gray 
  hairs, 
  those 
  on 
  the 
  sides 
  spreading 
  outward, 
  those 
  on 
  the 
  back 
  

   curving 
  forward. 
  After 
  a 
  few 
  days 
  of 
  feeding 
  the 
  caterpillars 
  

   increase 
  to 
  nearly 
  twice 
  their 
  length 
  at 
  hatching. 
  

  

  When 
  the 
  weather 
  continues 
  fair 
  after 
  the 
  time 
  of 
  hatching 
  the 
  

   caterpillars 
  begin 
  their 
  lives 
  with 
  happier 
  days, 
  and 
  their 
  early 
  his- 
  

   tory 
  is 
  different 
  from 
  that 
  of 
  those 
  unfortunates 
  above 
  described. 
  

  

  Three 
  other 
  broods, 
  which 
  

   were 
  found 
  hatching 
  in 
  Rock 
  

   Creek 
  Park 
  on 
  March 
  22, 
  

   before 
  the 
  period 
  of 
  bad 
  

   weather 
  had 
  begun, 
  were 
  

   brought 
  indoors 
  and 
  reared 
  

   under 
  more 
  favorable 
  circum- 
  

   stances. 
  These 
  caterpillars 
  

   spent 
  but 
  little 
  time 
  on 
  the 
  

   egg 
  masses 
  and 
  wasted 
  only 
  

   a 
  few 
  strands 
  of 
  silk 
  upon 
  

   them. 
  They 
  were 
  soon 
  off 
  on 
  

   exploring 
  expeditions, 
  small 
  

   processions 
  going 
  outward 
  on 
  

   the 
  twigs 
  leading 
  from 
  the 
  

   eggs 
  or 
  their 
  vicinity, 
  while 
  

   some 
  individuals 
  dropped 
  at 
  

   the 
  ends 
  of 
  threads 
  to 
  see 
  what 
  

   might 
  be 
  below. 
  Most, 
  how- 
  

   ever, 
  at 
  first 
  went 
  upward 
  as 
  

   if 
  they 
  knew 
  the 
  opening 
  leaf 
  

   buds 
  should 
  lie 
  in 
  that 
  direc- 
  

   tion. 
  If 
  this 
  course, 
  though, 
  

   happened 
  to 
  lead 
  them 
  up 
  a 
  barren 
  spur, 
  a 
  squirming, 
  furry 
  mob 
  

   would 
  collect 
  on 
  the 
  summit, 
  apparently 
  bewildered 
  by 
  the 
  trick 
  their 
  

   instinct 
  played 
  upon 
  them. 
  On 
  the 
  other 
  hand, 
  many 
  followed 
  those 
  

   that 
  first 
  dropped 
  down 
  on 
  threads, 
  these 
  in 
  turn 
  adding 
  other 
  

   strands 
  till 
  soon 
  a 
  silken 
  stairway 
  was 
  constructed 
  on 
  which 
  indi- 
  

   viduals 
  or 
  masses 
  of 
  little 
  woolly 
  bodies 
  dangled 
  and 
  twisted 
  as 
  if 
  

   either 
  enjoying 
  the 
  sport 
  or 
  too 
  fearful 
  to 
  go 
  farther. 
  

  

  For 
  several 
  days 
  these 
  young 
  caterpillars 
  led 
  this 
  happy, 
  irrespon- 
  

   sible 
  life, 
  exploring 
  twigs, 
  feeding 
  wherever 
  an 
  open 
  leaf 
  bud 
  was 
  

   encountered, 
  dangling 
  in 
  loose 
  webs, 
  but 
  spinning 
  threads 
  every- 
  

   where. 
  Yet, 
  in 
  each 
  brood, 
  the 
  individuals 
  kept 
  within 
  reach 
  of 
  one 
  

   another, 
  and 
  the 
  trails 
  of 
  silk 
  leading 
  back 
  to 
  the 
  main 
  branch 
  al- 
  

  

  Fig. 
  3.- 
  

  

  -Flrst 
  tent 
  made 
  by 
  young 
  caterpillars 
  

   (about 
  half 
  natural 
  siae). 
  

  

  