AMOUNT OF FOOD. 315 



1. The large caterpillars leave the burlap or other places 

 of concealment for their places of feeding between 7 and 8 

 o'clock in the evening, or sometimes a little later. 



2. They proceed by easy stages, resting frequently, 

 from their places of concealment to the places of feeding, 

 though some of them wander up and down the trees more 

 or less. 



3. When the distance is short, they proceed directly to 

 the leaves and begin feeding immediately. 



4. They feed and rest alternately, at frequent intervals 

 during the night. 



5. As a rule, they go to the same feeding place each 

 night and return to the same place of concealment, though 

 they will accustom themselves to a new feeding place, 

 especially in the younger stages. 



6. They cease feeding at daylight (between 3 and 4 

 o'clock in the morning), but when it is cloudy they feed 

 later. It would seem that the first indication of daylight 

 is the signal for them to return to their places of con- 

 cealment. 



Amount of Food consumed by Caterpillars. 

 To learn the amount of food hungry caterpillars of dif- 

 ferent ages would consume in twenty-four hours, the follow- 

 ing experiment was made during the summer of 1895 : a 

 known quantity of food was supplied to the caterpillars, 

 and at the end of a specified time the remains of the leaves 

 were carefully soaked in water and then measured. May 

 10, at 4.30 P.M., three caterpillars, between the first and 

 second molt, were placed in a breeding jar with 6 square 

 inches of lettuce leaf. At 7.30 A.M., May 11, 4 square 

 inches were added, making a total of 10 square inches. 

 May 11, at 7.30 A.M., the refuse was removed, and equalled 

 2 square inches, thus giving 8 square inches as the amount 

 consumed by the three caterpillars, or 2^ square inches per 

 caterpillar for twenty-four hours. May 10, at 4.30 P.M., 

 three caterpillars, between the second and third molt, were 

 supplied with 9 square inches of lettuce leaf. The next 

 morning 4 square inches were added, and at 1.30 P.M. 



