﻿TENT 
  CATERPILLAR 
  — 
  SNODGRASS. 
  335 
  

  

  original 
  structure; 
  but 
  since 
  the 
  tent 
  was 
  started 
  in 
  a 
  crotch, 
  the 
  

   principal 
  growth 
  is 
  upward 
  with 
  a 
  continual 
  expansion 
  at 
  the 
  top. 
  

   During 
  the 
  building 
  period 
  a 
  symmetrical 
  tent 
  is 
  really 
  a 
  beautiful 
  

   object. 
  (PL 
  I.) 
  Half 
  hidden 
  amongst 
  the 
  leaves, 
  its 
  silvery 
  white- 
  

   ness 
  pleasingly 
  contrasts 
  with 
  the 
  green 
  of 
  the 
  foliage, 
  its 
  smooth 
  

   silk 
  walls 
  glisten 
  where 
  the 
  sun 
  falls 
  upon 
  them 
  and 
  reflect 
  warm 
  

   grays 
  and 
  purples 
  from 
  their 
  shadows. 
  

  

  The 
  caterpillars 
  have 
  adopted 
  now 
  a 
  community 
  form 
  of 
  living 
  — 
  

   they 
  all 
  feed 
  together, 
  they 
  all 
  rest 
  and 
  digest 
  at 
  the 
  same 
  time, 
  they 
  

   all 
  work 
  at 
  the 
  same 
  time, 
  and 
  their 
  days 
  are 
  divided 
  into 
  definite 
  

   periods 
  for 
  each 
  of 
  their 
  several 
  duties. 
  There 
  is, 
  however, 
  no 
  visible 
  

   system 
  of 
  government 
  or 
  regulation, 
  but 
  with 
  caterpillars 
  acts 
  are 
  

   probably 
  functions; 
  that 
  is, 
  the 
  urge 
  probably 
  comes 
  from 
  some 
  

   physiological 
  process 
  going 
  on 
  within 
  them 
  which 
  may 
  be 
  influenced 
  

   somewhat 
  by 
  the 
  weather. 
  

  

  The 
  activities 
  of 
  the 
  day 
  begin 
  with 
  breakfast. 
  Early 
  in 
  the 
  morn- 
  

   ing 
  the 
  family 
  assembles 
  on 
  the 
  tent 
  roof, 
  and 
  then, 
  about 
  6.30, 
  pro- 
  

   ceeds 
  outward 
  in 
  one 
  or 
  several 
  orderly 
  columns 
  on 
  the 
  branches. 
  

   The 
  leaves 
  on 
  the 
  terminal 
  twigs 
  furnish 
  the 
  material 
  for 
  the 
  meal. 
  

   After 
  two 
  hours 
  or 
  more 
  of 
  feeding 
  appetites 
  are 
  appeased, 
  and 
  the 
  

   caterpillars 
  go 
  back 
  to 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  tent, 
  usually 
  by 
  8.30 
  or 
  

   9 
  o'clock. 
  Here 
  they 
  do 
  a 
  little 
  spinning 
  on 
  its 
  walls, 
  but 
  no 
  strenu- 
  

   ous 
  work 
  is 
  attempted 
  at 
  this 
  time, 
  and 
  generally 
  within 
  half 
  an 
  hour 
  

   the 
  entire 
  family 
  is 
  reassembled 
  inside 
  the 
  tent. 
  Most 
  frequently 
  the 
  

   crowd 
  collects 
  first 
  in 
  the 
  shady 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  outermost 
  story, 
  but 
  as 
  

   the 
  morning 
  advances 
  the 
  caterpillars 
  seek 
  the 
  cooler 
  inner 
  chambers, 
  

   where 
  they 
  remain 
  hidden 
  from 
  view. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  early 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  afternoon 
  a 
  light 
  lunch 
  is 
  taken. 
  The 
  

   usual 
  hour 
  is 
  1 
  o'clock, 
  but 
  there 
  is 
  no 
  set 
  time. 
  Occasionally 
  the 
  par- 
  

   ticipants 
  appear 
  shortly 
  after 
  11, 
  sometimes 
  at 
  noon, 
  and 
  again 
  not 
  

   till 
  2 
  or 
  3 
  o'clock, 
  and 
  rarely 
  as 
  late 
  as 
  4. 
  As 
  they 
  assemble 
  on 
  the 
  

   roof 
  of 
  the 
  tent 
  they 
  spin 
  and 
  weave 
  again 
  till 
  all 
  are 
  ready 
  to 
  pro- 
  

   ceed 
  to 
  the 
  feeding 
  grounds. 
  This 
  meal 
  lasts 
  about 
  an 
  hour. 
  When 
  

   the 
  caterpillars 
  return 
  to 
  the 
  tent 
  they 
  do 
  a 
  little 
  more 
  spinning 
  

   before 
  they 
  retire 
  for 
  the 
  afternoon 
  siesta. 
  Luncheon 
  is 
  not 
  always 
  

   fully 
  attended 
  and 
  is 
  more 
  popular 
  with 
  caterpillars 
  in 
  the 
  younger 
  

   stages, 
  being 
  dispensed 
  with 
  entirely, 
  as 
  we 
  shall 
  see, 
  in 
  the 
  last 
  stage. 
  

  

  Dinner, 
  in 
  the 
  evening, 
  is 
  the 
  principal 
  meal 
  of 
  the 
  day, 
  and 
  again 
  

   there 
  is 
  much 
  variation 
  in 
  the 
  time 
  of 
  service. 
  Daily 
  observations 
  

   made 
  on 
  five 
  colonies 
  at 
  Wallingford, 
  Conn., 
  during 
  1922, 
  from 
  the 
  

   8th 
  to 
  the 
  26th 
  of 
  May, 
  gave 
  6.30 
  p. 
  m. 
  as 
  the 
  earliest 
  record 
  for 
  the 
  

   start 
  of 
  the 
  evening 
  feeding 
  and 
  9 
  o'clock 
  as 
  the 
  latest, 
  but 
  the 
  dinner 
  

   hour 
  is 
  preceded 
  by 
  a 
  great 
  activity 
  of 
  the 
  prospective 
  diners 
  assem- 
  

   bled 
  on 
  the 
  outside 
  of 
  the 
  tents. 
  Though 
  the 
  energy 
  of 
  the 
  tent 
  

  

  