158 EYE SPY 



days. About five weeks ago he began his ca- 

 reer, his first meal consisting, perhaps, of the 

 iridescent shell of a tiny egg — precisely such a 

 one as our first butterfly visitor has just left, for 

 this is the caterpillar of the Atalanta or Red 

 Admiral. 



We may find a number of these tents if we look 

 sharp, and even while gathering them may over- 

 look a still more remarkable roof-tree of another 

 caterpillar, which constructs its pavilion on quite 

 a different plan. This, too, might even deceive a 

 " spider," the edges of the leaves being drawn 

 together beneath, and the veins partly severed near 

 the stem, giving it quite a steep pitch. Upon 

 looking beneath, we disclose another prickly ten- 

 ant somewhat similar to the first, only that he is 

 yellow and black instead of gray, while he is 

 clothed with the same complementary growth of 

 branching spines. 



A single nettle -clump of any size will disclose 

 dozens, perhaps hundreds, of these tent-dwellers. 

 Though armed with formidable chevaux-de-frise, 

 these species are stingless, and the caterpillars 

 may be safely gathered. The object of my direct- 

 ing attention to them is not simply to disclose 

 them in their haunts, but to recommend their 

 transfer to our collectino^-box, lookinsj to the 

 further beautiful surprise — always a surprise — 

 which they have in store for us. Although they 



