Basket- Carriers. 127 



bits of the leaves of the tree on which they are feeding, 

 forming small cones that are closely adherent to the leaf- 

 surfaces. As the larvae grow, they augment the size of 

 their enclosures or bags from the bottom, until they become 

 so large and heavy that they hang instead of remaining 

 upright, as they did at first. 



By the end of July the caterpillars become fully grown. 

 They are now exceedingly restless, and may be seen wander- 

 ing from branch to branch by means of their true legs which 

 are projected from the mouths of their baskets, to which 

 they keep firm hold, or suspended from a branch of a tree 

 by a long silken thread of their own manufacture. When 

 very abundant, as they were in certain localities during the 

 season just ended, they become a great nuisance, as one can 

 hardly walk beneath the trees without being inconvenienced 

 by a dozen or more dangling into his face. 



Removed from the case at this stage of existence and 

 closely examined, that portion of the body which has been 

 covered by the bag will be seen to be soft, and of a dull 

 brownish color, inclining to red at the sides, while the three 

 anterior segments, which are exposed when the insect is 

 feeding or travelling, will be found to be horny and mottled 

 with black and white. The pro-legs on the middle and hinder 

 segments, which are soft and fleshy, will show themselves 

 fringed with numerous hooks, by which the larva is enabled 

 to cling to the silken lining of its bag and drag it along 

 wherever it goes. The external surface of the bag is rough 

 and irregular, often presenting a beautiful ruffle-like appear- 

 ance, which is due to the projecting portions of the stems 

 and leaves which are woven into it. During their growing- 

 period these caterpillars are slow travellers, seldom leaving 

 the tree on which they were hatched. When about to change 

 into chrysalids, they fasten their bags securely to the twigs 

 on which they happen to be, and then undergo their change, 

 the male chrysalis being very much smaller than the female, 

 hardly one-third its size. 



