ORDER IV. MOTHS AND BUTTERFLIES. 175 



with a yellowish stripe on both sides ; but when fully grown 

 they are about one inch long, and vary in color, some being 

 greenish-yellow, and others green, with small black spots 

 upon the back. They are generally found in the most 

 abundance upon apple-trees, but also devour the leaves, 

 buds, and blossoms of plum, cherry, and other fruit trees, 

 as well as those of many ornamental and shade trees. 



The Canker-worm has but ten feet, and, on account of 

 its difficult locomotion, is not much disposed to promenade, 

 but, when not occupied at meals, lies stretched out upon a 

 twig, like an Italian or Mexican enjoying the Dolce far 

 niente " the luxury of doing nothing." About the middle 

 of June, or when four weeks old, they usually descend from 

 the tree either by slowly dragging their length along down 

 the trunk, or more commonly by letting themselves down 

 on their silken cord, like a rope-dancer, and enter the 

 ground to the depth of several inches, there to metamorph- 

 ose into cocoons. In the autumn they issue from the co- 

 coon as perfect moths, the male of which is only provided 

 with wings, of an ash color, which expand about one and 

 a quarter inches. The female is wingless, and is obliged 

 to perform her journey as well as she can on foot to the 

 nearest tree, not one of her numerous male admirers being 

 ftble to assist her. But in course of time she reaches the 

 tree, climbs up its trunk and branches, and there deposits 

 her eggs in clusters of a hundred or more, which she then 

 fastens to the branch or twig with a firm covering of water- 

 proof varnish. There the eggs remain, perfectly protected 

 from the effects of rain and cold, until the ensuing spring, 

 when the caterpillars are hatched. 



The LIME-TREE SPAN-WORM (Hibernia tiliaria) is another 

 kind of caterpillar, abundantly found in the month of June 

 upon lime, poplar, elm, and apple trees, in almost all our 

 parks, woods, and gardens. It is a little larger than the 

 former, being, when full grown, one and a half inches long, 



