166 HALF-HOURS IN THE GREEN LANES. 



cannot fail to see the hedges often stripped of their 

 leaves for a considerable distance, and just about 

 the centre, whence the destruction seems to have 

 proceeded, you behold a large cobweb-like structure, 

 on the outside of which are creeping several blackish 

 and repulsive-looking caterpillars. You poke at the 

 nest with your stick, and immediately there issue 

 scores of similar caterpillars. These are the brood of 

 the small Eggar-moth (Eriogaster lanestris) of which 

 we give a figure of the moth, chrysalis, and cater- 

 pillar in Figs. 113 to 115. The moth itself is rather a 

 pretty insect, of a dingy brown, with white spots on 

 the wing, and a good deal of soft fur about the head. 

 The caterpillars are social, living together in the 

 web they unitedly construct, and issuing forth like 

 locusts to devour " every green thing " that comes 

 in their way. If you watch their proceedings a 

 short time you cannot fail to be amused. They 

 seem to have regular times for feeding, and issue 

 forth in single file, crowding on each other's heels, 

 and leaving off eating as suddenly and unitedly as 

 if a bell had summonsed them. On examining the 

 nest or web, you will see that the holes leading into 

 the interior only allow one caterpillar at a time to 

 go in or come out. When all the caterpillars are 

 housed, slumbering away their heavy meal for 

 they are among the most voracious of feeders one 

 titerpillar is left in each hole, as if on guard. This 

 l)cial condition is limited to the caterpillar stage, 

 for each afterwards forms a cocoon. Another cater- 



