THE GL AUCOriDIANS. 
337 
very rarely observed, in this vicinity. The caterpillars 
are gregarious, that is, considerable numbers of them live 
and feed together, collected side by side on the same leaf, 
and only disperse when they are about to make their co¬ 
coons. They are of a yellow color, with a transverse 
row of black velvety tufts on each ring, and a few con¬ 
spicuous hairs on each extremity of the body. They are 
hatched from eggs, which are laid in clusters of twenty or 
more together on the lower sides of the leaves of the grape¬ 
vine and creeper ; and they come to their growth from the 
middle to the end of August. They then measure six tenths 
or rather more than one half of an inch in leno-th. Their 
o 
feet are sixteen in number, and rather short, and their mo¬ 
tions are sluggish. When touched, they curl their bodies 
sidewise and fall to the ground, or, more rarely, hang sus¬ 
pended from the leaves by a silken thread. When young, 
they eat only portions of the surface of the leaf; but as they 
grow older, they devour all but the stalk and principal veins, 
and, passing from leaf to leaf, thus strip whole branches of 
their foliage. When numerous, they do much damage to 
the vines and fruit, by stripping off the leaves in midsum¬ 
mer, when most needed. I have found them in Massachu¬ 
setts on the grape-vine and on the common creeper, or Awyje- 
lopsis quinquefoUa^ and conjecture that the latter constitutes 
their natural food. 
About the year 1830, Professor Hentz found them in 
swarms upon cultivated grape-vines at Chapel Hill, in North 
Carolina; and constant care Avas required to check their 
ravages there, during several successAe years. SeA’^eral 
broods appeared there in the course of the summer; but 
hitherto, only one annual brood has been observed in 
Massachusetts, altliough two or more broods may occasion¬ 
ally be produced. When about to make their cocoons, 
the caterpillars leave the vines, and retire to some sheltered 
spot. They then enclose themselves, each in a very thin, 
but tough, oblong oval cocoon, and soon afterwards are 
43 
