PINE TREES. 65 



England. The elytra are bright green, the thorax 

 violet, and the head violet-black (J. G. Wood). 



Just beyond the octroi, on the Route de Genes, 

 these procession larvae may be seen about the date of 

 "the vernal equinox : I have observed them as early 

 as the second week in February. They form long 

 lines upon the road, the head of one insect close to 

 the tail of another. I believe that the not strictly 

 scientific experiment has been tried of placing the 

 procession caterpillars in a circle ; but it is not on 

 record for what length of time they continued to crawl 

 round and round. Possibly the spell was broken by 

 the wheel of some passing carriage. Perchance, driven 

 by fate, they are still describing their circle on the 

 hill-side. 



Exactly so the swarm of travellers behave : from 

 London to Paris they go ; then down to Nice or 

 Cannes, by the " train de luxe " ; the more disreputable 

 ones turn up at Monaco. Next they appear at 

 Florence or at Rome, each following his neighbour, 

 he knows not and he cares not why. Back then to 

 the Italian Lakes, or Switzerland, or Aix, and on to 

 London, where the round begins again. From hotel 

 to station, from station to hotel, the great procession 

 moves year in year out. 



Grant Allen says that if a caterpillar be removed 

 from the centre of the line, a signal is passed to the 

 front and to the rear, and the procession halts. If 

 the deserter does not return to his post within a 

 reasonable time, the line re-forms and advances again. 

 But if the leader be taken away, no member of the 

 band seems able to supply his place. The rank 

 becomes disorganized, and ceases to advance. It 



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