56 



GENERAL ZOOLOGY 



they emerge from the cocoons the eggs are laid near by, often 

 on the cocoons. Fig. 34 shows the female in the act of 

 laying eggs in such a situation. 



Observations on the food of birds of the eastern United 

 States seem to show that the spines, tubercles, and hairs, 

 with which many caterpillars are covered (compare Fig. 35, 

 the larva of the regal moth, Cithero'nia rega'lis), form very 

 efficient means of protection, at least from birds, since, 



with the exception of the 



[HI ' - , 



cuckoo, no bird is known to 

 make a practice of feeding 

 on hairy caterpillars. Pro- 

 fessor Poulton of Oxford, 

 England, experimented with 

 a species of tussock-moth 

 from England to determine 

 the part the tufts of hair 

 play in the life-economy of 

 the caterpillar. He says : 

 " A caterpillar of the com- 

 mon vaporer moth (Oryg'ia 

 anti'qua) was introduced in- 

 to a lizard's cage, and when 

 attacked instantly assumed 

 the defensive attitude, with 

 the head tucked in and the 

 tussocks separated and ren- 

 dered as prominent as pos- 

 sible. An unwary lizard 

 seized the apparently convenient projection ; most of the 

 tussock came out in its mouth, and the caterpillar was not 

 troubled further. The lizard spent a long and evidently 

 most uncomfortable time in trying to get rid of its mouthful 

 of hairs." 



FIG. 35. Larva of Regal Moth. 

 Reduced 



