NATURAL HISTORY CALENDAR. 221 
the brood of caterpillars which appear in aigi At the time of the 
flowering of the raspberry. and sai a fe e young larve of Væ- 
nessa Antiopha, one of our abundant nt sii may be ys 
living socially on the leaves of ki 9 willow; while the mature larva 
another much smaller butterfly, the little Copper Skipper = por 
nus Americanus), so abundant at this time, may sometimes 
e clover. It is a short, oval, greenish worm, preg pri legs 
The dun-colored Skippers (Hesperia) abound towards pi middle of 
the month, darting over the flowers of the blueberry and blackberry, 
in sunny openings in the forests. 
The family of Hawk Moths (Sphinges) now appear in greater abun- 
dance, hovering at twilight over flower-beds, and, during this time, de- 
posit their éggs on the leaves of various fruit-trees. The American 
Tent Caterpillar makes its coc oon, and assumes the pupa state’ The 
caterpillar passes several days within the cocoon, in what may be 
called the semi-pupa state, during which ae ae pei CUBE skin is 
forming beneath the contracted and loosened larva We onc 
experimented on a larva which had just completed its cocoon, to learn 
n on 
spun a third but frail web, scarcely concealing its form. A minute 
chneumon parasite, allied to Platyg ygaster, lays its eggs within ee 
of this moth, as we once detected one under a bunch of in and af- 
terwards reared a few from the same lot of eggs. A still more minute 
€gg-parasite we have seen ovipositing in the early spring, in the eggs 
of the Canker-worm. It has been described and figured in Harris’ 
“Treatise on Insects,” third edition, p. 471. 
Among. that beautiful family of Moths, the. ap comprising 
the Geometers, Loopers, or Span-worms, are two formidable foes to 
we 
can be in a great measure prevented. The English Sparrow, Doves, 
and other insectivorous birds, such as are noticed elsewhere in our 
pages, should be domesticated in order to reduce the number of these 
pests. More care than has yet been taken should be devoted to de- 
stroying the eggs laid in the autumn, and also the wingless females, 2s 
they crawl up the trees in the spring and fall to lay their eggs. The 
evil is usually done before the farmer is well aware that the calamity 
has fallen upon him. As soon. as, and even before the trees have fairly 
leaved out, they should be visited morning, noon, and night, shaken* 
* Read in t ve “ Practical ” 1967, an scout by the Editor, of the 
Curculio-catcher, and the ebay asp smaking or pd ing. tree oe s paper is indis- 
riy the agriculturist. Published by g iety at Phila- 
