ATTACKING THE LEAVES. ^7 



Anisopteryx vernata, known as the Spring Canker-worm, 

 lias an oval-shaped egg, shown at b in Fig. 61, highly mag- 

 nified; the natural size is shown in 

 the small cluster adjoining ; they are ^^* 



of a very delicate texture and pearly 

 lustre, and are laid in masses with- 

 out any regularity or order in their 

 arrangement, often as many as a 

 hundred together, usually hidden in 

 crevices of the bark of trees. They 

 hatch at the same time as the other species. 



The young caterpillar is of a dark olive-green or brown 

 color, with a black shining head, and a horny plate of the 

 same color on the top of the next segment ; they, too, are 

 about an inch long when full grown, and present then the 

 appearance shown at a, Fig. 61. In the same figure, c rep- 

 resents a side view, and d a back view, of one of the segments, 

 enlarged so as to show their markings more distinctly. 



When full grown, this caterpillar closely resembles that of 

 the other species, and the body is equally variable in color. 

 In this the head is mottled and spotted, and has two pale 

 transverse lines in front ; the body is longitudinally striped 

 with many narrow pale lines; along the sides it becomes 

 deeper in color, and down the middle of the back are some 

 blackish spots. Their habits are similar to those of the other 

 species, and they attain full growth about the same time. 



The chrysalids, which are found about the same depth 

 under ground, are similar in color to those of pometaria, but 

 the cocoon is much more fragile, and is easily torn to pieces. 

 Sometimes the moth escapes from the chrysalis in the autumn, 

 but more frequently during the first warm days of spring., 



The abdomen of the female (6, Fig. 62), as well as that of 

 the male, has in this species, .upon the hinder margin of each 

 of the rings, two transverse rows of stiff reddish spines ; at 

 d in the figure is represented a joint of the abdomen, en- 

 larged, showing these spines. The female also has a retractile 



