THE AMERICAN L A C K E Y- C A T E R P I L L AR . 871 
leaf to leaf, they spin from their mouths a slender silken 
thread, which is a clew to conduct them back to their tents ; 
and as they go forth and return in files, one after another, 
their pathways in time become well carpeted with silk, which 
serves to render their footing secure during their frequent 
and periodical journeys, in various directions, to and from 
their common habitation. As they increase in age and size, 
they enlarge their tent, surrounding it, from time to time, 
with new layers or webs, till at length it acquires a diam- 
eter of eight or ten inches. They come out together at 
certain stated hours to eat, and all retire at once when their 
regular meals are finished ; during bad weather, however, 
they fast, and do not venture from their shelter. These 
caterpillars (Plate VII. Fig. 13) are of a kind called lackeys 
in England, and livrtfes in France, from the party-colored 
livery in which they appear. When fully grown, they 
measure about two inches in length. Their heads are black ; 
extending along the top of the back, from one end to the 
other, is a whitish line, on each side of which, on a yellow 
ground, are numerous short and fine crinkled black lines, 
that, lower down, become mingled together, and form a 
broad longitudinal black stripe, or rather a row of long black 
spots, one on each ring, in the middle of each of which is a 
small blue spot; below this is a narrow wavy yellow line, 
and lower still the sides are variegated with fine intermingled 
black and yellow lines, which are lost at last in the general 
dusky color of the under side of the body ; on the top of 
the eleventh ring is a small blackish and hairy wart, and 
the whole body is very sparingly clothed with short and 
soft hairs, rather thicker and longer upon the sides than 
elsewhere. The foregoing description will serve to show 
that these insects are not the same as either the Neustria * 
* Neustria was the ancient name of Normandy, from whence this European 
species was first introduced into England. The Neustria caterpillar has a bluish 
head, on which, as also on the first ring, are two black dots; the back is tawny- 
red, with a central white and two black lines from one end to the other; the sides 
