116 Bulletin 76 



together and the sides are often so appressed that the moth economizes 

 space almost as effectually as does the honey bee in the formation of its 

 hexagonal cells.'" 



Lowe'' states that the egg-laying is not always as thus described and 

 that none of the females which laid in his laboratory "placed themselves in 

 a transverse position across the twig, but stood lengthwise of it, or nearly 

 so, and moved sidewise while depositing the eggs. When one row was 

 finished the next was immediately commenced. * * * With each egg 

 an abundance of frothy glue was discharged, completely covering it and 

 hardening almost immediately. The females died within a few hours after 

 completing oviposition." 



These egg clusters are deposited late in the summer, in this region 

 usually not before the middle of July. In a season which opens earlier 

 than common, and in which, therefore, the eggs hatch sooner than usual, 

 the moths may be ready to deposit the eggs by the first of July. So far as 

 external appearance goes, the eggs remained unchanged until the following 

 spring, but in fact they begin to hatch not very long after they are laid, and 

 before the close of the season the larvse are fully formed. They do not 

 leave the eggs, however, until spring. 



When separated from the cluster, each egg is of the form shown, much 

 magnified, in figure 1, d. The lower end is narrower than the upper and is 

 rounded, while the upper is cut oft squarely. As c in the figure shows, the 

 top of each egg is bordered by a flat rim within which the surface is con- 

 cave. This depression increases as the larva developes. Each egg is about 

 five-hundredths of an inch long and three-hundredths in diameter across 

 the top. 



LAKVA OR CATERPILLAR 



After the little black caterpillars have' left the eggs, which they do very 

 early in the spring, it is astonishing how much cold and inclement weather 

 they can endure. Some of them are always out of the shell and creeping 

 over the twigs long before freezing weather has passed and, of course, before 

 the leaf buds have begun to open. Nevertheless these apparently tender 

 creatures do not perish from cold and hunger a:s one would suppose they 

 inevitably would, but live on ready to attack the leaves when at last they 

 expand. Any unusually mild day in spring is sufiicient to bring out num- 

 bers of them. Although voracious feeders when food is at hand, they can 

 at any period of their lives endure prolonged fasting. I have had cater- 

 pillars from one half to two thirds grown live in the laboratory with no food 

 whatever for over two weeks without apparent suffering. 



1 Riley, lnsects;of Mo. Rpt. j, p. 121 (1S71). 



2 IvOC. cit. p. 40. 



