10 Department Circular 288, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture. 



the occurrence in great numbers of the caterpillars in some of the 

 southern cities is sufficient evidence of the poisonous nature of the 

 insect. In Dallas and other Texas cities hundreds and even thou- 

 sands of cases of stings have occurred during a single season, and in 

 some cases the fear of the caterpillars became almost a mania owing 

 to the description of the effect of the stings which was passed from 

 one to another. It is possible that the effects of stings may be 



Fig. 7. — Cocooa of puss caterpillar opened to show beveled cap or operculum. 



made more serious by the hysteria engendered by these often exag- 

 gerated statements, especially if published in newspapers. In 

 San Antonio, Tex., a few years ago the caterpillars became so abund- 

 ant about some of the public schools, and the stings were so frequent, 

 that the schools in question were ordered closed until all of the shade 

 trees in the vicinity could be sprayed and this caterpillar brought 

 under control. In Dallas and Fort Worth, Tex., and other cities 

 the forestry departments were deluged with requests that something 



