MOTH. 22Q 



larity for this purpose in rows, and at first devour 

 only the upper pellicle and the green parenchyma 

 of the leaves, and in the evening retire to their 

 web. In about three weeks they cast their skin, 

 and afterwards proceed to feed as before, enlarg- 

 ing their web from time to time, and forming it 

 on all sides as strong and secure as possible. In 

 this they remain the whole winter in a state of 

 torpidity, ^ill being /enlivened by the warmth of 

 the returning spring, they again issue from their 

 covering, and being now grown stronger, begin 

 to devour the whole substance of the leaves, in- 

 stead of contenting themselves with the upper 

 part as in their very young state. The destruc- 

 tion which thev sometimes cause to the verdure 



/ 



of the country may -be judged of by their ravages 

 in the year 1782, when, according to the account 

 of the ingenious Mr. Curtis, author of the Flora 

 Londinensis, &c. in many parishes about London 

 subscriptions were opened and the poor people 

 jemployed to cut off and collect the webs at one 

 shilling per bushel, which were burned, under the 

 inspection of the church-wardens, overseers, or 

 beadles of the respective parishes. At the first 

 onset of this business Mr. Curtis assures us he 

 was informed that fourscore bushels were collected 

 in one day in the parish of Clapham alone. When 

 these caterpillars are arrived at full growth, winch 

 is usually about the beginning of June, each 

 spins itself a separate web, in which it changes to 

 a dark-brown chrysalis, out of which in the beginr 

 ning of July proceeds the Moth. 



