278 APPENDIX /. 



a loss, for he will add perchance to his stock of butter- 

 fly parasites, of which for some species many different 

 kinds are already known. 



The search for caterpillars in their haunts is often 

 very easy, especially if their food plant, habits, and 

 seasons are known ; to search for a caterpillar out of 

 season is an anachronism one will not enjoy. Partly 

 eaten leaves are one of the best guides to the discovery 

 of caterpillars ; while such as construct nests of any 

 sort are very readily detected, especially when the nests 

 are so built as to expose the under surfaces of leaves, 

 where their upper surfaces would be expected, as in 

 the case of many of the higher skippers [see Fig. 94]. 

 The caterpillars of the blues, coppers, etc., are perhaps 

 the most difficult to find, because they so nearly resem- 

 ble in color the surfaces on which they rest ; the same 

 is true of the caterpillar of our common yellow butter- 

 fly ; but when one has once discovered them, and 

 knows how they look in their natural situations, the 

 search becomes much easier. Others again feed mostly 

 by night and retire by day to the covert of dead leaves 

 on the ground or beneath sticks, and must be sought 

 by the aid of the lantern. Such in particular are the 

 caterpillars of our satyrs and fritillaries. 



Some caterpillars, as stated in the body of this work, 

 pass the winter in that state, either just hatched, 

 half grown, or nearly mature. To keep these safely 

 through our long winter and prevent their recovering 

 from their dormancy before food for them can be ob- 

 tained in the spring, is one of the most difficult tasks. 

 It is best, as a general rule, to place them in closed or 

 nearly closed vessels, not too small, in a dry but cool 

 cellar, and not to move them until their food plant is 

 again in leaf. Mr. Edwards has succeeded well with 

 some of those which have eaten little or nothing before 

 going into winter quarters, by placing them through 

 the winter in an ice-house, which would seem to be 

 rather heroic treatment at first sight ; but in almost 

 any other situation they are liable to rouse from their 



