OF THE HUMAN BODY. 101 



avail, as the caterpillar simply goes round them, 

 and crosses even small brooks. I think it would 

 be best to discover the nests, and wrap them up 

 with rags soaked in oil, and then to cut away the 

 branch, and to burn or bury it. It would be 

 well, however, to destroy the insect in the chrys- 

 alis state towards the end of July or middle of 

 August, before the butterfly creeps out, in order 

 to restrict its propagation, or to hunt up and 

 annihilate the latest brood which exists before the 

 second casting of the skin, without the dangerous 

 dust. It would, therefore, be necessary to search 

 from the beginning of May to the beginning of 

 June, for the wandering troops. The collector 

 of nests and caterpillars will do well to use a blunt 

 hoe, to wear gloves, and to oil the skin. There 

 are generally only one or two nests in each tree. 

 The caterpillar has but few enemies in the animal 

 kingdom, of which I may mention the ichneumon. 

 Birds seem to be afraid of it. Precautions ought 

 to be taken to prevent persons entering infected 

 forests by means of notices, by the digging of 

 ditches, etc. The pasturing of animals in such 

 forests, and the gathering of fodder and litter, 

 should be forbidden. The gathering of fruits of 



