﻿TENT 
  CATERPILLAR 
  SNODGRASS. 
  

  

  339 
  

  

  millimeter; 
  and 
  in 
  I, 
  one-half 
  millimeter. 
  The 
  width 
  of 
  the 
  head 
  

   is 
  a 
  better 
  index 
  to 
  the 
  stage 
  than 
  is 
  the 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  body. 
  

  

  In 
  southern 
  Connecticut 
  the 
  tent 
  caterpillars 
  begin 
  to 
  go 
  into 
  

   their 
  sixth 
  and 
  last 
  stage 
  about 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  May. 
  They 
  now 
  

   change 
  their 
  habits 
  in 
  many 
  ways, 
  disregarding 
  the 
  conventionalities 
  

   and 
  refusing 
  the 
  responsibilities 
  that 
  bound 
  them 
  in 
  their 
  earlier 
  

   stages. 
  They 
  do 
  little, 
  if 
  any, 
  spinning 
  on 
  the 
  tent, 
  not 
  even 
  keeping 
  

   it 
  in 
  decent 
  repair. 
  They 
  stay 
  out 
  all 
  night 
  to 
  feed, 
  unless 
  adverse 
  

   weather 
  interferes, 
  

   thus 
  merging 
  din- 
  

   ner 
  into 
  breakfast 
  

   in 
  one 
  long 
  noctur- 
  

   nal 
  repast. 
  This 
  is 
  

   attested 
  by 
  observa- 
  

   tions 
  made 
  through 
  

   most 
  of 
  several 
  

   nights, 
  when 
  the 
  

   caterpillars 
  of 
  four 
  

   colonies 
  which 
  went 
  

   out 
  at 
  the 
  usual 
  

  

  time 
  in 
  the 
  evenings 
  were 
  found 
  feeding 
  

   till 
  at 
  least 
  4 
  o'clock 
  the 
  following 
  morn- 
  

   ings, 
  but 
  were 
  always 
  back 
  in 
  the 
  tents 
  at 
  

   7.30. 
  When 
  the 
  caterpillars 
  begin 
  these 
  

   all-night 
  banquets, 
  however, 
  they 
  dis- 
  

   pense 
  with 
  the 
  midday 
  lunch, 
  their 
  crops 
  

   being 
  so 
  crammed 
  with 
  food 
  by 
  morning 
  

   that 
  the 
  entire 
  day 
  is 
  required 
  for 
  its 
  di- 
  

   gestion. 
  Some 
  other 
  writers 
  have 
  de- 
  

   scribed 
  the 
  tent 
  caterpillars 
  as 
  nocturnal 
  

   feeders, 
  and 
  some 
  have 
  said 
  they 
  feed 
  

   three 
  times 
  a 
  day. 
  Both 
  statements, 
  it 
  

   now 
  appears, 
  are 
  correct, 
  but 
  the 
  writers 
  

   have 
  not 
  noted 
  that 
  the 
  two 
  habits 
  per- 
  

   tain 
  to 
  different 
  periods 
  of 
  the 
  cater- 
  

   pillar's 
  history. 
  

  

  At 
  any 
  time 
  during 
  the 
  caterpil- 
  

   lars' 
  lives 
  adverse 
  weather 
  conditions 
  

   may 
  upset 
  their 
  daily 
  routine. 
  For 
  two 
  weeks, 
  during 
  May, 
  days 
  

   and 
  nights 
  had 
  been 
  fair 
  and 
  generally 
  warm, 
  but 
  on 
  the 
  17th 
  

   the 
  temperature 
  did 
  not 
  get 
  above 
  65° 
  F., 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  afternoon 
  

   threatening 
  clouds 
  covered 
  the 
  sky. 
  In 
  the 
  evening 
  light 
  rains 
  fell, 
  

   but 
  the 
  caterpillars 
  of 
  the 
  five 
  colonies 
  under 
  observation 
  came 
  out 
  

   as 
  usual 
  for 
  dinner 
  and 
  were 
  still 
  feeding 
  when 
  last 
  observed 
  at 
  9 
  

   p. 
  m. 
  Rains 
  continued 
  through 
  the 
  night, 
  however, 
  and 
  the 
  tem- 
  

   perature 
  stood 
  almost 
  stationary 
  between 
  50° 
  and 
  55°. 
  

  

  Fig. 
  6. 
  — 
  Mature 
  tent 
  caterpillars 
  

   (natural 
  size). 
  

  

  