BURLAPPING. 169 



few are found, they may be cut in two by the knife and 

 brushed off the tree. Care must be taken not to crush them 

 with the bare hand, as their hairs when brought forcibly in 

 contact with the skin sometimes cause an irritation much 

 like that produced by nettles. 



The burlap band in no way prevents the caterpillars from 

 ascending or descending the tree, neither does it entrap those 

 which it shelters. But it was soon seen that most of the 

 caterpillars which descended the tree remained under the 

 burlap during the day, and that others which were restlessly 

 roaming about on the ground often ascended the tree to the 

 same shelter. Still others, fulJy grown and ready to pupate, 

 retired to the cover of the burlap to undergo their last trans- 

 formations, and the female moths emerging would often 

 deposit their eggs upon or beneath it. 



The larvae seek the burlap in greatest numbers during very 

 hot weather, when they usually come down the trees in the 

 early morning hours, go under the burlap and remain there 

 during the heat of the day. The greater number keep on 

 the shady side of the tree, moving with the sun so as to 

 avoid its direct rays. A few leave the burlap during the day, 

 but most of them remain until evening. Observations made 

 on a small apple tree showed that an average of sixty-six 

 per cent, of the larvae on the tree gathered daily under the 

 burlap. This habit is illustrated by Plate XXXII. 



The following quotation from the notes of Mr. W. L. 

 Tower, one of the inspectors engaged in the gypsy-moth 

 work, indicates that the antipathy the larger larvae have for 

 sunlight is not uniformly shared by the younger or smaller 

 individuals : 



The small larvae on the tree were less restless and were disposed 

 to remain longer in the sun than were the older ones. Some of 

 the smaller ones would remain all day in the sun on the upper side 

 of a branch, and in one or two cases when placed in a shady place 

 on the tree returned to their first position in the sunshine. 



The burlap band to be effective must entirely encircle 

 the trunk, and its edges must hang loosely. If under the 

 influence of sun and rain it shrinks too closely to the tree, 

 the larvae may not be able to crawl beneath it. This may be 



