LACKEY MOTH. 
11 
hedges, under bars of railings, roofs, or anywhere, in fact, that they 
find convenient. These cocoons are of silky web, powdered with 
yellow or white dust, and from the brown chrysalis in this cocoon the 
moth comes out towards the latter part of summer. 
The figure (p. 10) shows the shape and size of the Lackey Moth. 
The colouring is excessively variable, but the fore wings may be described 
as of some shade of rusty-fox, yellowish, or dark brown tint, with two 
transverse bars, these being sometimes of a pale tint on a darkish 
ground, or sometimes, on the contrary, the ground colour is the paler, 
and the bars dark; and in one specimen before me there is a trans¬ 
verse band between the two bars, of a deeper colour than that of the 
rest of the wings. The hinder wings are also of some tint of 
brownish colour. 
The best remedies for this attack are clearing off the webs with the 
caterpillars within them , or jarring the boughs so as to make the 
caterpillars fall to the ground. In the latter case some may escape, as 
they let themselves down by their threads on alarm, and some also 
may return up their own lines; therefore, when many are observed 
hanging thus beneath the lowest boughs, they should be removed by 
sweeping to and fro in the air with a birch-broom, or pole, or anything 
of this nature which may be at hand. 
Where the plan of destroying the caterpillars in their webs is 
preferred, care should be taken that this is done when the caterpillars 
are within them. It should be done on an overcast, wet day, or early 
or late, and it is best for two people to carry out the work. One man 
should have a pail with some fluid in it,—water and paraffin, or fluid 
mud with a little paraffin, or anything, in fact, that will prevent the 
caterpillars that fall in, rambling away. If the pail is held by one 
man, so that the web-nest cut off by the other falls into it, this is an 
excellent remedy for such part of the attack as may be in reach. In 
any case, measures should be taken to prevent stray caterpillars 
returning up the stem of the tree to the leafage. When the rings of 
eggs are seen on the Apple-twigs, they should be cut off and destroyed 
wherever they can be reached. The Lackey Moths harbour in long 
grass and leaves on the ground, and, therefore, keeping the trees clear 
of a neglected undergrowth, such as is too often seen in uncared-for 
orchards, is an important measure of prevention. A word may also 
be said for the Cuckoo as a helper; this bird is particularly partial to 
hairy caterpillars. 
The attacks of the Small Ermine Moth are placed next in order, as 
they lie to some degree under the same means of prevention. 
