Insects, etc., I))jt(rious to tjie. Pear. 



341 



arc three jjairs of yellow claw-like legs. Thcic arc no ]irolcgs at 

 all, but on the anal scoment are two long liackwardh' iirojccting 

 spines, looking like antenna:'. The antenn;r arc long. A dark green 

 line shows down the middle of the body, caused by tlie alimentary 

 canal containing tlie green leaf substance upon which the larva:- 

 have been feeding, 



Ha\'ing no prolegs they walk with difficulty when once they have 

 left their web, wriggling much like a wojan and progressing backwards 

 witli ^■iolence if touched, much after the manner of the caterpillar 

 of the Garden Swift (ILrpinliix I iijuili h us). They exude a drop of clear 

 deep coffee-coloured fluid from the mouth and from behind the 

 head and other parts when frightened. This fluid is sometimes 

 Cjuite red and clear, looking like blood. They will expel this \\-hen 

 an Ichneumon settles upon them. Its function is evidently to 

 frighten off such enemies. AMien in the webfiing they wander 

 about with much case, usually collecting together in a group w hen 

 not feeding. The larva- 

 never seem to actually 

 leave the nest, l_iut 

 when feedirrg they 

 partly expose their 

 bodies outside the tent 

 and devour the leaves 

 all round. They com- 

 mence by devouring the 



edges of the leaves and work down to the mid rili, which 

 generally seem to leave intact. AVhen the leaves around the nest 

 are all cleared they form anotlier tent near the last and connnence 

 afresh. As manv as six nests may l:ie found on one }iear tree, 

 evidently all formed liy the same cnlouy. 



There is considcralde variation in the time of appearance, U>y in 

 the same tree fully matured and half grown larva- may occur. The 

 first date of pupatiim observed was the iVth of July, but l)y August 

 many larva^- were still alive in ISOO. Eoughly speaking, the larva- 

 take five weeks to mature. I'hey then attain the length of 1 inch. 

 When ready to pujiate they lower themsel\-cs to the ground by a 

 thread of silk, and at once commence to bnrrow into the earth to a 

 depth of ?> to 5 inches, where they spin a thin cocoon m which they 

 remain all the winter, and in which tliey pupate in the spring. 

 Miss < )rmerod (1) savs they do not ibrm a cocoon, but make a snrooth 

 cell in the eartli ; this is contrary to other observations (2). 



The pupa? seem to be able to suspend development, and nray live 



lAT, I'EAl; .S.VWl'IA'. 



they 



