52 
SOCIAL NESTS. 
care to eat the leaf only half-way through, so 
as to leave the nerves and thin membrane 
untouched; for these are to form the canvas and 
cordage of their future tent. When their hunger 
is a little appeased, they begin to be very busy. 
You may see them carrying their lines of silk 
from one side of the leaf to the other, and 
drawing it into a concave shape. They go on 
adding thread to thread, until what at first was 
a slight web becomes a thick veil of brilliant 
whiteness. 
All the leaves on which they have fixed them¬ 
selves are roofed over in this manner; and here 
the little colony reside during the summer, and 
make excursions in search of food. But autumn 
comes, and the chilling wind begins to whistle 
through the tree; it is time for them to make a 
warmer and a safer dwelling, and they set about 
it accordingly. They are now grown much bigger 
and stronger, and they stretch their thick threads 
from twig to twig, and inclose a space, sufficiently 
large to hold them all. The whole family work 
with great energy at this new tent, which looks, 
when it is done, like a packet of silk and leaves 
rudely woven together, and of no particular shape. 
But it is very comfortable within, and is divided 
into a number of apartments, each large enough 
to hold several caterpillars. The apartments 
