424 
ANNUAL REPORT OF NEW-YORK 
In almost every nest a few small worms may be seen, not half 
the size of the others. These do not appear to be individuals 
which have been stung by parasites, as some have supposed, for 
I find such dwarfs in nests I have reared within doors, where it 
is not probable any parasites had ever invaded them. They are 
probably individuals which have been diseased, or which have 
been less fortunate than their comrades in finding the supply of 
food which they required. 
Sometimes also one or two very large worms may be found 
reposing in a nest of small and more lately hatched ones. These 
are evidently stragglers which have abandoned their own nest, 
and in wandering about, happening to come to this nest, have 
crowded into it to repose temporarily. The proprietors of the 
nest make no resistance to these intruders. Nor do we ever see 
these caterpillars show any unfriendliness towards one another. 
When one of them is annoyed in any way, it throws its head 
spitefully and with a sudden jerk from side to side, and when 
menaced with danger it holds its head upwards and remains stiff 
and rigid, or else it drops itself to the ground and there lies per¬ 
fectly still, as though aware that if it moved its enemy would 
more readily discover it. 
As the black cherry is the favorite of these insects it often 
happens that trees of this kind which stand solitary in the fields 
or along the fences, attract the female moths from all directions, 
and become greatly overstocked with eggs. A hundred nests 
may sometimes be counted upon a small tree. In such instances 
before the caterpillars are half grown every particle of foliage 
upon the tree is consumed and every bud is gnawed to its core. 
The small amount of succulent matter which continues daily to 
grow in the buds does not suffice to give a taste of food to a 
tenth part of the ravenous multitudes. The situation of the 
worms at such times is truly pitiable. Famishing and tormented 
with hunger and feeling that a mouthful of sustenance must and 
can somewhere be found to alleviate the cravings of their appe¬ 
tite, each worm hurriedly crawls for the hundreth time to the 
end of every limb and twig. The tree thus becomes carpeted 
over and the angles of the branches become filled with the cob¬ 
web-like threads which are spun in these numberless journeys. 
