MISCHIEF CATERPILLARS CAN DO. 
63 
chesnuts will begin to fall before they are ripe, 
and go on falling, until tbe trees are left quite 
stripped. This is a sad disappointment to the 
grower, who knows very well that the caterpillars 
have been busy feasting on the inside of the 
chesnuts. 
Even the date, that has the hardest stone of 
any fruit in the world, is not free. The cater¬ 
pillar, with its strong jaws, will gnaw into its 
core, and carry on its depredations. But when 
the little creature is about to change into a 
chrysalis, it works its way out of the kernel, and 
undergoes the change between the stone and the 
pulp, so that the moth may have no difficulty in 
making her escape. 
The olive-tree is the greatest blessing to the 
inhabitants of the south of Europe, on account of 
the oil that it yields. But the olive will, occa¬ 
sionally, cast its fruit in the same way as the 
cliesnut, and from the same reason. 
Amongst the many severe judgments with 
which the Jews were threatened, in case of their 
disobedience, was this failure of the olive and the 
vine. u Thou shalt plant vineyards and dress 
them, but shalt neither drink of the wine, nor 
gather the grapes; for the worms shall eat 
them.” u Thou shalt have olive-trees through¬ 
out all thy coasts, but thou shalt not anoint 
