r ■« r 
rfe of in covering its eggs, which, when hid, look like tmnll 
lumps of down on the leaves. 
The young Caterpillars are hatched early in autumn : as 
foon as they quit the egg they fet about fpinning a web, and 
having formed a finall one, they proceed to feed on the foliage, 
by eating the upper furface and fleffiy part of the leaf, and 
leaving the under fide and ribs. It is curious to obferve with' 
what regularity they marffial themfelves for this purpofe. Thus 
they proceed daily, fpinning and enlarging their web,: to which 
they retreat every night and in bad weather, and extending 
their depredations. In the courfe of a few weeks their opera¬ 
tions begin to be vifible on the trees; their web as yet is not fo ■ 
confpicuous as^ thofe leaves,, which, being ftripped of their 
green part,, affume a dead appearance: now is the time to de- 
ftroy them* while their neft is fmall, and their ravages juft- 
confpicuousi They may be cut off the twigs or branches-with* 
a pruning knife, or gardener’s (hears, whofe handles may, if 
neceffary, be lengthened ; or by a fliarp hook affixed to the end' 
of a long pole. When cut off, they ffiould be coHedfed! toge¬ 
ther and burned, merely to prevent their returning again to * 
the trees-and ffirubs. By performing this operation thus early, 
you fave the autumnal verdure of your foliage : if it be defer¬ 
red till winter, the web will then be more confpicuous, and* 
will have acquired a (Longer a-nd tougher texture, fo as to bear 
pulling off, which ffiould be preferred-to pruning in certain* 
cafes, efpecially where it regards fruit trees. No remedy ffiort 
of removing the webs will avail. Lotions, fumigations, ver¬ 
min powder, &c. will be applied to no purpoffi; they are too 5 
ftrongly enveloped to-be affefted by any of thefe. In about 
three weeks from their being firft hatched, they change their 
ikin, a procefs which not only all Caterpillars undergo four or 
five 
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