﻿TENT 
  CATERPILLAR 
  — 
  SNODGRASS. 
  

  

  343 
  

  

  While 
  many 
  of 
  the* 
  caterpillars 
  protect 
  themselves 
  from 
  the 
  attack 
  

   of 
  predaceous 
  insects 
  and 
  ward 
  off 
  parasitic 
  flies 
  by 
  their 
  sudden 
  

   swinging 
  of 
  the 
  body 
  from 
  side 
  to 
  side, 
  they 
  frequently 
  make 
  the 
  

   same 
  motions 
  for 
  no 
  evident 
  reason. 
  We 
  have 
  noted 
  how 
  one 
  may 
  

   begin 
  switching 
  in 
  the 
  tent, 
  perhaps 
  fighting 
  imaginary 
  enemies 
  in 
  

   his 
  dreams, 
  much 
  to 
  the 
  annoyance 
  of 
  his 
  companions. 
  The 
  tent 
  

   caterpillars, 
  however, 
  never 
  exhibit 
  the 
  concert 
  wagging 
  character- 
  

   istic 
  of 
  the 
  fall 
  webworms. 
  (See 
  p. 
  402, 
  Smithsonian 
  Report 
  for 
  

   1921.) 
  

  

  A 
  number 
  of 
  small 
  and 
  minute 
  beetles 
  live 
  in 
  the 
  tents 
  of 
  the 
  tent 
  

   caterpillar, 
  but 
  these 
  probably 
  only 
  feed 
  there 
  on 
  the 
  accumulated 
  

   refuse. 
  They 
  are 
  to 
  be 
  compared 
  with 
  the 
  

   mice 
  and 
  rats 
  of 
  human 
  dwellings. 
  

  

  After 
  the 
  caterpillars 
  go 
  over 
  into 
  their 
  

   last 
  stage 
  the 
  tents 
  are 
  neglected 
  and 
  

   rapidly 
  fall 
  into 
  a 
  state 
  of 
  dilapidation. 
  

   Birds 
  often 
  poke 
  holes 
  in 
  them 
  with 
  their 
  

   bills, 
  and 
  they 
  rip 
  off 
  sheets 
  of 
  silk 
  which 
  

   they 
  carry 
  away 
  for 
  nest-building 
  pur- 
  

   poses. 
  The 
  caterpillars 
  do 
  not 
  even 
  repair 
  

   these 
  damages. 
  The 
  rooms 
  of 
  the 
  tent 
  be- 
  

   come 
  filled 
  with 
  accumulations 
  of 
  frass, 
  

   molted 
  skins, 
  and 
  the 
  shriveled 
  bodies 
  of 
  

   dead 
  caterpillars. 
  The 
  walls 
  are 
  discolored 
  

   by 
  rains 
  which 
  beat 
  into 
  the 
  openings 
  and 
  

   soak 
  through 
  the 
  refuse. 
  Thus, 
  what 
  were 
  

   shapely 
  objects 
  of 
  glistening 
  silk 
  are 
  trans- 
  

   muted 
  into 
  formless 
  masses 
  of 
  dirty 
  rags. 
  

  

  But 
  the 
  caterpillars, 
  now 
  in 
  their 
  finest 
  

   dress, 
  are 
  oblivious 
  of 
  their 
  sordid 
  sur- 
  

   roundings 
  and 
  sleep 
  all 
  day 
  amidst 
  these 
  disgusting 
  and 
  appar- 
  

   ently 
  insanitary 
  conditions. 
  However, 
  the 
  life 
  in 
  the 
  tents 
  will 
  soon 
  

   be 
  over, 
  so 
  it 
  appears 
  that 
  the 
  caterpillars 
  simply 
  think, 
  " 
  What's 
  

   the 
  use 
  ? 
  " 
  But, 
  of 
  course, 
  caterpillars 
  do 
  not 
  think 
  ; 
  they 
  arrive 
  at 
  

   results 
  by 
  instinct, 
  in 
  this 
  case 
  by 
  the 
  lack 
  of 
  an 
  instinct, 
  for 
  they 
  

   have 
  no 
  impulse 
  to 
  keep 
  the 
  tents 
  clean 
  or 
  in 
  repair 
  when 
  doing 
  so 
  

   would 
  be 
  energy 
  wasted. 
  Nature 
  demands 
  a 
  practical 
  reason 
  for 
  

   most 
  things. 
  

  

  The 
  tent 
  life 
  continues 
  about 
  a 
  week 
  after 
  the 
  last 
  moth, 
  and 
  then 
  

   the 
  family 
  begins 
  to 
  break 
  up, 
  the 
  members 
  leaving 
  singly 
  or 
  in 
  

   bands, 
  but 
  always 
  as 
  individuals 
  without 
  further 
  concern 
  for 
  one 
  

   another. 
  Judging 
  from 
  their 
  previous 
  methodical 
  habits, 
  one 
  would 
  

   suppose 
  that 
  the 
  caterpillars 
  starting 
  off 
  on 
  their 
  journeys 
  would 
  

  

  Fig. 
  8. 
  — 
  A 
  bug 
  (Podisw 
  mat- 
  

   uUventris) 
  feeding 
  on 
  a 
  cat- 
  

   erpillar 
  hanging 
  from 
  its 
  

   beak. 
  

  

  