CATERPILLAR TRAPS. 311 



age, about 91 feet. These observations have a bearing on 

 the question of how far the trees around a colony should be 

 burlapped. 



Caterpillar Traps. 



In the summer of 1895, at the suggestion of Mr. For- 

 bush, several attempts were made to capture the caterpil- 

 lars of the gypsy moth by means of traps, constructed with 

 reference to their habit of seeking out cracks, crevices, etc., 

 for shelter during the day. Different styles of traps were pre- 

 pared, all made with small openings, closed by a fringe of 

 hair-cloth or felt, through which the insect might enter but 

 could not return. These traps were attached to the trunks 

 of badly infested trees ; and, while they caught and retained 

 a small number of caterpillars, as a whole they were not a 

 success. 



When a number of old tin cans are placed along an 

 infested hedge or wall, at the time the caterpillars are 

 pupating, it has been found that they will enter them in 

 large numbers and pupate. Females, emerging in these 

 cans, deposit their eggs there ; and by frequent examination 

 of the cans a large number of pupae and egg-clusters can be 

 destroyed. 



FEEDING HABITS. 



In general, it may be said that the gypsy moth caterpillar 

 is almost omnivorous so far as foliage is concerned, and its 

 ability to adapt itself to nearly every food plant is one of 

 the chief obstacles to its extermination. For this reason, 

 also, it is capable of committing far greater depredations 

 than any of our common native insects. A list of food 

 plants attacked by the gypsy moth is given on succeeding 

 pages, and, since the ravages of the insect on fruit and 

 forest trees have been so fully described in Part I. of this 

 report, we pass to a more detailed account of the feeding 

 habits. The feeding habits of caterpillars of different ages 

 are shown on Plate 40. 



Time and Manner of Feeding. 



To determine the time and manner of feeding of the cater- 

 pillars, a series of observations was made by Mr. Minott in 



