106 WORK AT HOME AND IN THE FIELD 



hole that was eaten out by the young caterpillar just after its escape 

 from the egg. Once within the reed, it found a plentiful supply of 

 food, and there grew at the expense of the plant without doing any 

 further external damage save by causing a stunted growth. 



It may be that the stem eaters we have found are just about 

 full grown. If so we examine a number of the stems with a hope 

 that we may find one or two that are just about to change to the 

 chr3 T salis state, or even a pupa already formed. By this means we 

 may secure one of the perfect insects without the necessity of feed- 

 ing larvae at home. Such a consideration becomes a most important 

 one when it happens that the required food plant is one that cannot 

 be easily obtained. 



Close b} T the reeds is another water-loving plant in the form of 

 an old willow tree. This is always an attractive object to the 

 entomologist, so it comes in for a share of our inspection. On its 

 leaves we may find several species of the larvae of Lepidoptera, 

 including those of some of our largest insects. But a strange feature 

 catches our eyes as we happen to glance at the bark of the tree. 

 Here we see a few holes of different sizes, about which are a number 

 of little fragments of wood that remind us of * sawdust ; ' and, 

 examining the ground below, we see quite a little heap of this 

 dust, looking just as if a carpenter had been at work on the spot. 



This is not the effect of a saw, however ; it is a sure sign of the 

 ravages of wood-eating larvae (p. 224), whose powerful jaws gain 

 them admittance into the very hearts of trees, and the application 

 of the nose to one of the larger holes leaves no doubt of the pre- 

 sence of the large and beautiful caterpillar of the Goat Moth 

 (p. 224). 



If we require any of these wood-eaters, either for rearing or for 

 preservation, we must be prepared for a little rather heavy work. 

 A strong pocket knife is not sufficient, but with a good chisel the 

 wood can be gradually cut away, and the galleries traced, till at 

 last we come to the larvae snugly resting in their burrows. 



It often happens that the tree thus tenanted is half decayed, and 

 consequently the work is rendered much easier. Also, while tear- 

 ing away the wood, we often meet with a number of cocoons that 

 have been constructed by the caterpillars for their winter quarters, 

 or as a resting place while undergoing their transformations. These 

 are composed of the wood dust bound together by strong silk fibres, 

 and are often in such a good state of preservation that they form 

 useful illustrations for the cabinet. 



