OBSERVATIONS ON HABITS OF FALL WEBWORM. 49 



a nest at 3 a. m., while the worms were out feeding. At 4 a. m.. 

 when all were coming home, these were wandering about aimlessly. 

 Eventually a portion settled down and spun some web within a piece 

 of folded paper which had been used as a label for the nest. The ma- 

 jority, however, formed a new nest among some dead leaves left after 

 cutting out the old nest. Another paper was then placed near the 

 first piece. The next day a number had located under this and had 

 spun some web, but the paper was not at all folded. Later all the 

 nests were cut out, including the pieces of paper, with the result that a 

 portion of the worms settled down in a new web which they built 

 underneath the largest stem of the branch, while the rest returned to 

 a neighboring nest about 18 inches distant, from which the smaller 

 individuals of this brood — a double brood — had come some days 

 before. 



Three nests were cut out and placed on the ground near some 

 choke-cherry bushes. In all three instances the nests were fastened to 

 the ground with web after the first night and some silk spun upon 

 the ground for some small distance about the nests. The first brood 

 built web upon the ground for a distance of 2 feet from its nest to a 

 leafy stem of the choke-cherry, to which it migrated. Only a few 

 worms returned to the nest upon the ground after the first few days. 

 The majority remained in their new quarters and soon had spun quite 

 a dense web. 



The history of the second nest is quite similar to the first, except 

 that I could find no web spun upon the ground leading to the choke- 

 cherry, a distance of 3 feet. These worms remained for a longer 

 time in their nest, deserting it gradually, and, it is presumed, went 

 to the choke-cherry, where a few specimens were occasionally found, 

 although no new web was observed. 



The history of the third nest is somewhat different. The nest was 

 cut off August 5 and placed upon the ground between the porch and 

 choke-cherry bush. The nest was 2 feet from a leafy branch of the 

 cherry near the ground and about 1 foot from the porch. On the 

 morning of the second day apparently all the worms were in the 

 nest, and a web had been spun upon the ground near by and the side 

 of the porch. At 9 p. m. of the same day (August 6) the worms were 

 wandering about the web upon the ground and the porch. A few 

 were on the railing of the porch and on the floor near by. On the 

 morning of the third day all had evidently returned to the nest. At 

 9 p. m. the worms were wandering over the nest and the ground 

 near by (the web upon the side of the porch had been destroyed) ; 

 there was no evidence that the worms were going to the cherry. On 

 the morning of the fourth day apparently all the worms were again 

 in the nest. On the morning of the fifth day the nest was deserted 

 31024— No. 60—00 m 4 



