PARASITES-COLLECTING 63 



the " double-enders " — those fox-colored in the middle 

 and black at both ends — hibernate, that is, pass the 

 winter in a torpid or semi-torpid state, and crawl out 

 in early spring to eat a little new grass, dandelion, or 

 plantain before spinning their cocoons. These are not 

 worth trying to keep over the winter unless one has a 

 room with even temperature and can have sods in a 

 box. In this case the caterpillars will hide in the turf 

 and may survive the winter, but it is difficult to keep 

 hibernating larvae in ordinary heated rooms, or in cel- 

 lars to which many persons have access. 



Whenever gipsy-moth caterpillars, apple-tree tent- 

 caterpillars, or forest tent-caterpillars are brought in. 

 or the " fall web " caterpillars or moths, they should be 

 destroyed, for they do much damage to the trees and 

 increase rapidly. This is true of the tussock-caterpil- 

 lars also, and of the " canker-worms," which drop down 

 by silken threads and hang squirming just on a level 

 with one's face. These are all well known and easy to 

 identify by books and museum specimens. When nei- 

 ther books nor collections can be consulted, the nearest 

 entomologist, the State Entomologist, or the head of the 

 Division of Entomology of the United States Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, is usually glad to give any infor- 

 mation possible, and even beginners may be able to 

 repay the kindness by supplying specimens wanted for 

 some special purpose, or facts about some species oc- 

 curring in their neighborhood. 



There are more kinds, or species, of insects than of 

 any other class of the animal kingdom, and they are 

 thought to make up four fifths of that kingdom. 



They are supposed to have developed from annelid 



