Insects hijurious to the AjypJe. 



23 



Prayers were even offered up in 

 some of the churches to deliver the 

 country from the apprehended ap- 

 proaching calamity (3). 



It occurred in enormous numbers 

 in East Kent in 1901, next year it 

 was scarce, and since then it has been 

 very difficult to find " tents " of these 

 caterpillars. 



Amongst localities where it has 

 been or is found may be mentioned 

 Epping, Lewes, Tenterden. Eamsgate, 

 Canterbury, Wye, Sittingbourne, Fav- 

 ersham, Hythe, Ashford, Linton, 

 Teignmouth, Bristol, Lymington, New- 

 market, Bisterne, Norwich, Stow- 

 market, Black Park, Dorking, etc. 



The damage done by these tent- 

 forming caterpillars is very similar to 

 that done by the Lackey Moth. 



ANOTHER NON-HANGING WINTER 

 TENT (A) AND EGG-MASS (B). 



(Half natural size.) 



LiFE-HlSTOEY AND HaBITS. 



The female moth (Fig. 9) has pure satiny white fore wings with 

 a faint dusky spot on each ; hind 

 wings pure white ; the head, thorax 

 and abdomen pure wliite ; a dense 

 In-own to golden brown pad-like 

 tail tuft, and the brown colour may 

 spread on to a few segments of the 

 abdomen; the male has no dusky 

 spots on the front wings, and the 

 brown tail tuft is much smaller and 

 more fanlike. The wing expanse 

 varies between 1^ inch and If inch. 

 The moth is a night-flyer, and may 

 l>e found resting by day on walls, 

 leaves, lamps, etc., and is very 

 sluggish, falling down as if dead 

 when its resting-place is shaken. 



The female lays her eggs on the 

 under surface of the leaves. These 



MALE AND FEMALE BROWN TAIL MOTHS. •, t • i 1 • 



(Natural size.) are pkced m a long mass reaching 



