tomed to these conditions, accommodate themselves to their environment. A 

 large covered cage containing a pot of the living foodplant, or jars of water filled 

 with fresh bouquets of the foodplant, are undoubtedly best, and correspond with 

 the conditions which nature provides, but you may rely upon the assertion that 

 larvae will live, thrive and mature in jars. Jelly glasses will answer every pur- 

 pose during the first and second molt, but after that use jars of at least one or 

 two quarts capacity. For large numbers of caterpillars boxes and barrels cov- 

 ered with gauze give good results. Most authors will tell you the advantages 

 of having breeding cages. The entomological supply houses advertise several 

 forms and varieties. If money is no object, get as many kinds and as many of 

 a kind as you like. I have successfully used a number of these and acknowledge 

 their advantages, but I tell you frankly that you can obtain just as good results 

 from these homely appliances which I recommend and which cost little or nothing. 



TRAYS AND TANGLEFOOT. 



Harry S. Smith, Superintendent of the California State Insectary at Sacra- 

 mento, gave me a most valuable hint regarding rearing larvae in shallow trays 

 around the edges of which was smeared a band of tanglefoot. The tray may 

 be of any convenient size, say 1 8 x 20 inches, and the sides need not be higher 

 than three or four inches. Tree tanglefoot answers every purpose and can be ob- 

 tained in one-pound tin cans. It is sold by The O. & W. Thum Co., Grand 

 Rapids, Michigan, and the C. B. Jennings Co., 24 California Street, San Fran- 

 cisco, California, and costs about 25 cents a can. Paint or daub this on the 

 inner surface of the top of the sides and ends of the tray in a band two to four 

 inches in width and your larvae cannot crawl out of the tray. No cover is needed, 

 and each day's fresh food may be placed on the tray by the side of the food of the 

 preceding day. The larvae will crawl on the fresh food and every few days the 

 old food may be removed and the tray cleaned without ever disturbing the cater- 

 pillars. Mr. Smith informs me that seventy thousand larvae of the Gypsy Moth 

 were successfully reared at the Massachusetts State Insectary in one tray about 9 

 feet long by 3 feet wide. Several trays may be placed one above the other in a rack. 

 A small brush and crumb tray are useful in cleaning the trays. My experience 

 leads me to believe that this is the best method of handling large quantities of 

 larvae. Care must be taken that the branches of the foodplant do not reach over 

 the top of the tray, else the larvae will escape. The band of tanglefoot may be 

 placed on the inside of boxes and barrels near the top. Orchardists paint bands 

 of Tree Tanglefoot around their fruit trees and vines and no larvae will attempt 

 to climb up the trunk or stem thus protected. To protect the trays from ich- 

 neumon flies, dust and other enemies, the racks containing the trays should be 

 surrounded with cheese-cloth or fine wire screen. Coffee barrels lined with heavy 

 pasteboard form excellent breeding cages if there is a band of tanglefoot around 

 the inside near the top. 



REARING LARVAE ON GROWING PLANTS. 



It would seem 1 to be an ideal way to rear larvae upon the living, growing 

 plants upon which they feed. It saves all the troub'^ of gathering the food and 

 would seem to be the most desirable method. Where caterpillars feed upon the 

 leaves of a tree they may be confined in gauze bags tied around the branches, 

 and when the leaves of a given branch have been eaten extend the bag over an- 

 other limb, and so on. If the bag is large you can enclose the fresh branch by 

 the side of the old one and when the caterpillars have changed their abode the old 



43 



