47 



the larvae are obtained by beating tlie hedges 

 and the trees early in the morning,, as most of 

 them feed in the night, and retire soon after sun- 

 rise; they are, therefore, but seldom to be met 

 with during the day. Caterpillars are found 

 in Europe from the spring until the autumn 

 of the year; and some few live through the 

 winter,evenin this state : they, however, decrease 

 in bulk, but are still attached to the stems of 

 trees ; on the rising of the sap and the budding 

 of the trees they resume their usual vigour, 

 feeding on the more tender shoots, and retiring 

 to the pupa state before the trees are in leaf; 

 we make this observation, because in tropical 

 countries, where trees are ever green, many 

 larvae, no doubt, remain in this state during the 

 rainy season. Most larvse are obtained in Eng- 

 land, about the middle of the spring and the end 

 of summer, or in May and September. 



Many of the larvse of moths feed on the bodies 

 of decayed trees, and others on the roots of 

 grass ; these, when obtained, should be put into 

 cages, and constantly supplied with fresh grass, 

 that the roots may furnish them with food ; de- 

 cayed wood must also be put into the cages, as 

 many species form their coccoons of it. Those 



