48 INSECTS INJURIOUS TO THE APPLE. 



provide for a future generation by the deposition of eggs. 

 TJie moth remains at rest and concealed during the day, but 

 becomes very active at night, when it enters lighted rooms, 

 attracted by the glare, and becomes so dazzled and bewildered 

 that it darts crazily about, here and there, thumping itself 

 against the walls, furniture, and floor of the room in the 

 most erratic manner, then circles around the lamp or gas-light 

 with great velocity, finally dashing into the flame, when, with 

 wings and antennae severely singed, it retreats into some ob- 

 scure corner. The moths are most abundant during the first 

 two weeks in July. 



The eggs are deposited during that month upon 

 FIG. ^40. the smaller twigs of our fruit-trees in ring-like clus- 

 ters, each composed of from fifteen to twenty rows, 

 containing in all from two to three hundred. The 

 eggs are conical and about one-twentieth of an inch 

 long, firmly cemented together, and coated with a 

 tough varnish, impervious to rain, the clusters pre- 

 senting the appearance shown in Fig. 40. In Fig. 

 41, at c, a similar cluster is shown with the gummy 

 covering removed, showing the manner in which the 

 eggs are arranged. 



The young caterpillars are fully matured in the egg 

 before winter comes, and they remain in this enclosure in a 

 torpid state throughout the cold weather, hatching during the 

 first warm days of spring. They usually appear during the 

 last week in April or early in May, depending much on the 

 prevailing temperature. Their first meal is made of por- 

 tions of the gummy material with which the egg-masses are 

 covered, and with the strength thus gained they proceed at 

 once to work. At this time the buds are bursting, thus pro- 

 viding these young larvse with an abundance of suitable tender 

 food. It sometimes happens, however, that after they are 

 hatched cold weather returns and vegetable growth is tempo- 

 rarily arrested. To meet this emergency they have the power 

 of sustaining hunger for a considerable time, and will usually 



i vv v/ VT v 



FIG. 40. 



I 



