130 On the Arctia Phceorrhcea. [Aug. 



The caterpillar is the larva of a white moth very well known in 

 the neighbourhood ot" London, which usually makes its appearance 

 in the month of June about sun-set, and deposits its eggs on the 

 branches of those trees, the leaves of which afterwards serve the 

 young caterpillar for food. It is usually called in England the 

 brown tail moth, from the colour of its tail. Entomologists have 

 given it the name of arctia pkceorrhcea. It is the bombyx chry- 

 sorrhcea of H'ubner, and the bombyx phceorrhcea of Haworth. 

 Neither Linnaeus nor Fabricius seem to notice It, though it is the 

 commonest of all insects in the neighbourhood of London and 

 Paris. I do not recollect observing it on the hedges in Scotland ; 

 and certainly it never appeal's there in such abundance as to destroy 

 the verdure of great portions of the hedges, as is the case in the 

 neighbourhood of London. 



During the years 17*1 and 1782 these caterpillars appeared in 

 such vast quantities in the neighbourhood of London, as to produce 

 a considerable alarm. Daily paragraphs appeared in the news- 

 papers respecting them, many of them of the most alarming 

 nature. It was said to be the forerunner of the plague ; it was 

 represented ;.s so abundant that it would devour all the grass of the 

 fields, and starve the cattle; it was alleged that such multitudes of 

 insects could not fail to infect the air, and produce a pestilential 

 disorder ; prayers were offered up in several of the churches for the 

 removal of such a calamity. In some places they were collected 

 by the common people at the rate of one shilling a bushel ; and on 

 the first day of this attempt no fewer than 80 bushels were col- 

 lected in the parish of Clapham alone. 



In the year I J82 Mr. Curtis published a small pamphlet on this 

 insect, in order to quiet the minds of the people. It is to this 

 pamphlet that I am indebted for the account of the insect which 

 follows : — 



These caterpillars are found on the hawthorn, oak, elm, most 

 fruit-trees, blackthorn, rose-trees, bramble, and sometimes on the 

 willow and poplar. They have never been observed on the elder. 

 walnut, ash, fir, or herbaceous plants. Hence the only mischief 

 they occasion is to rob particular trees of their foliage and blossoms. 

 The trees and shrubs are not killed thereby; but, as soon as the 

 caterpillars have removed to change to chrysalis, they put forth 

 fresh foliage. The only loss, therefore, which the owner sustains, 

 is some check to their growth, and a temporary deprivation of the 

 beauties of spring and autumn. The case, indeed, is different with 

 respect to fruit-trees, as by the destruction of the blossom or the 

 bud the fruit for the season is destroyed. The owners of orchards 

 and standard fruit-trees have, therefore, most reason to be alarmed. 

 Insects in general make their appearance in greater numbers 

 after a hard winter than a mild one. The present summer is con- 

 sidered by the collectors of insects in the neighbourhood of London 

 as the best that has occurred for many years. Accordingly various 

 insects have been observed during it that had not made their 



