SCALE-'WINaEU INSECTS. 375 



doners are diligent in the use of the pruning-knife, or a sharp 

 hook, or a pair of shears, for separating their nests from the thrubs 

 and plants, they will efiFectually put a stop to their ravages. No 

 other method will serve the purpose. 



The Seeatella Moth is a small insect, which, like the 

 owl, roams abroad during the night. It is furnished with its share 

 of ornament. Its color is brown, and the upper wings, which are 

 beautifully fringed, are marked with numerous black dots and 

 stripes, The under wings are much smaller than the upper, and 

 fringed at the edge. The hind legs are nearly twice the length 

 of the body, and fringed at their articulations, or joints. 



The eggs from which the larvae, or worms, of this moth 

 come forth, are .generally attached to the leaves of the pear-tree, 

 but more seldom to those of the apple and plum in the month of 

 May. These are succeeded by small, downy, fawn-colored cylin- 

 ders J they contain a small yellowish caterpillar with a black head ; 

 when its cell becomes too small, it is guided by instinct to divide 

 it lengthways, by means of its jaws, and then, very nicely and 

 completely, closes up the opening with new and suitable materials. 

 The activity of this insect in making for itself a comfortable habi- 

 tation, should teach us to seek after a title to a comfortable and 

 secure abode beyond the skies, even a house not made with hands, 

 etern£\l in the heavens. 



The mode which this caterpillar adopts in feeding is sin- 

 gular. It does not quit its cell while it feeds j the cell is fixed to 

 the leaf by silken threads ; the insect has the power of stretching 

 out its body to a considerable extent; it gradually devours all 

 within its reach, forming a complete circle; when this is effected, 

 it cuts the threads which attach the cell to the spot, and crawls to 

 another part of the leaf, to which it fixes its little humble abode. 

 The period of its caterpillar life contiiiues fourteen days from the 

 time it was hatched from the egg; then it becomes a torpid, mo- 

 tionless chrysalis, in which state it continues about ten days. 



It is in the months of May or June these moths come forth 

 in immense swarms. The females only deposit one egg at once 

 and seldom more than one on the same leaf. These insects arc 



