HABITATIONS OF INSECTS, 477 



contains them is spun by their united labour ibr the pro- 

 tection of the common society. As soon as the cluster of 

 eggs deposited by the parent moth is hatched, the young 

 caterpillars, to the number of three or four hundred, 

 commence their operations. At first they content them- 

 selves by forming a sort of hammock of the single leaf 

 upon which they find themselves assembled, covering it 

 with a roof composed of a number of silken threads drawn 

 from one edge to the other ; and under one or more of 

 these temporary habitations they reside for a few days, 

 until they are become large and strong enough to under- 

 take a more solid and spacious building sufficient to con- 

 tain the whole society. In constructing this new habita- 

 tion, they spin a close silken web round the end of two or 

 three adjoining twigs and the leaves attached to them, so 

 as to include the requisite space. They are not curious 

 in giving any particular form to the edifice : sometimes 

 it is flat, often roundish, but always more or less angular. 

 The interior is divided by partitions of silk into several 

 irregular apartments, to each of which there is purposely 

 left an appropriate door. Within these the caterpillars 

 retire at night, or in rainy weather, quitting the nest on 

 fine days, and dispersing themselves over the neighbour- 

 ing leaves, upon which they feed. Here too they repose 

 during the critical period of the change of their skins. 

 On the approach of winter the whole community shut 

 themselves up in the nest, which, by the addition of re- 

 peated layers of silk, has at this time become so thick and 

 strong as to be impervious to the wind and rain. They 

 remain in a state of torpidity during the cold months, 

 but towards the beginning of April are awakened to ac- 



