Spinning Caterpillars. 349 



attached to a hawthorn-twig, in a hedge at New Cross, 

 Deptford, but of a leathery texture, and, externally, exactly 

 the colour of the bark of the tree. During the summer of 

 1830 we found a considerable number of the same cocoons. 

 These were all without air-holes. The egger, we may re- 

 mark, unlike the dock- weevil or the bee-grub just mentioned, 

 can work her cocoon without any point of attachment. We 

 had a colony of these caterpillars in the sumnier of 1825, 

 brought from Epping Forest, and saw several of them work 

 their cocoons, and we could not but admire the dexterity 

 with which they avoided filling up the little pin-holes. The 

 supply of their building material was evidently measured out 

 to them in the exact quantity required ; for when we broke 

 down a portion of their wall, by way of experiment, they did 

 not make it above half the thickness of the previous portion, 

 though they plainly preferred having a thin wall to leaving 

 the breach unclosed. (J. B.) 



Several species of caterpillars, that spin only silk, are 

 social, like some of tfyose we formerly mentioned, which unite 

 to form a common tent of leaves (see pages 351, 352, &c.). The 

 most common instance of this is in the caterpillars which 

 feed on the nettle the small tortoise-shell ( Vanessa urticce), 

 and the peacock's eye ( V. J.). Colonies of these may be seen, 

 after midsummer, on almost every clump of nettles, inhabit- 

 ing a thin web of an irregular oval shape, from which they 

 issue out to feed on the leaves, always returning when their 

 appetite is satisfied, to assist their companions in extending 

 their premises. Other examples, still more conspicuous from 

 being seen on fruit-trees and in hedges, occur in the cater- 

 pillars of the small ermine-moth (Tponomeuta padella), and 

 of the lackey (Clisiocampa neustria), which in some years arc 

 but too abundant, though in others they are seldom met with. 

 In the summer of 1826, every hedge and fruit-tree around 

 London swarmed with colonies of the ermine, though it 

 has not since been plentiful ; and in the same way, during 

 the summer of 1829, the lackeys were to be seen everywhere. 

 We mention this irregularity of appearance that our readers 

 may not disappoint themselves by looking for what is not 



