INSECTS. 103 



time to time, until many branches had been spoiled of their j eaves, 

 and in the autumn were entirely destitute of fruit ; while the three 

 trees, which had been stripped of the eggs, were flush with foliage, 

 each limb, without exception, ripening its fruit." These pertinent 

 remarks point out the nature and extent of the evil, and suggest 

 the proper remedy to be used against the ravages of these insects. 

 LACKEY CATERPILLAR. There is a kind of caterpillars that swarm 

 in the unpruned nurseries and neglected orchards of the slovenly 

 husbandman, and hang their many-coated webs upon the wild cherry 

 trees that are suffered to spring up unchecked by the way-side and 

 encroach upon the borders of our pastures and fields. The eggs 

 from which they are hatched, are placed around the ends of the 

 branches, forming a wide kind of ring or bracelet, consisting of three 

 or four hundred eggs, in the form of short cylinders standing on 

 their ends close together, and covered with a thick coat of brownish 

 water-proof varnish. The caterpillars come forth, with the unfold- 

 ing of the leaves of the apple and cherry tree, during the latter 

 part of April or the beginning of May. The first signs of their 

 activity appear in the formation of a little angular web or tent, 

 somewhat resembling a spider's web, stretched between the forks 

 of the branches a little below the cluster of eggs. Under the shel- 

 ter of these tents, in making which they all work together, the 

 caterpillars remain concealed at all times when not engaged in eat- 

 ing. In crawling from twig to twig and from leaf to leaf, they 

 spin from their mouths a slender silken thread, which is a clue to 

 conduct them back to their tents ; and as they go forth and return 

 in files, one after another, their pathways in time become well car- 

 peted with silk, which serves to render their footing secure during 

 their frequent and periodical journeys in various directions, to and 

 from their common habitation. As they increase in age and size, 

 they enlarge their tent, surrounding it, from time to time, with new 

 layers or webs, till, at length, it acquires a diameter of eight or ten 

 inches. They come out together at certain stated hours to eat, and 

 all retire at once when their regular meals are finished ; during 

 bad weather, however, they fast, and do not venture from their 

 shelter. These caterpillars are of a kind called lackeys. When 

 fully grown they measure about two inches in length. Their heads 

 are black ; extending along the top of the back, from one end to 

 the other, is a whitish line, on each side of which, on a yellow 

 ground, are numerous short and fine crinkled black lines, that 

 krer down, become mingled together, and form a broad longitu 



