266 ReEporRT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ENTOMCLOGY OF THD 
connection the following extract from a letter from Mr. A. R. 
Kastman, of Waterville, Oneida County, who has observed this 
insect closely, is of interest. ‘The forest tent-caterpillar was 
far more numerous this year than last in the forests and orch- 
ards (about Waterville), not so many in the village. Last year 
they fed almost entirely on the maple, this year they made no 
distinction. All kinds of forest trees were attacked. If there 
were apple trees near the forest the caterpillars seemed to 
know it for I have seen tens of thousands of them traveling on 
the fences, even wire fences, leading to the orchards.” 
Migration in the caterpillar stage is not the only means of 
local distribution. Probably the species spreads more rapidly 
through the agency of the adults which are vigorous fliers. The 
eges also may be carried long distances upon young nursery 
trees without injury. 
Life history.—The life history of this insect is given in Bulletin 
159, pages 40-50, but a brief summary will be of value here to 
again call attention to the principal points in its development 
and their reiations to methods of control. 
This insect, like very many others, passes through four well 
defined stages: Egg, larva, pupa and adult. The eggs are laid 
in bands about the twigs (Fig. 8), during the latter part of June 
or early in July. They remain unhatched on the trees until the 
following spring, when the young caterpillars appear. Toward 
the last of May or early in June they reach full growth, stop 
feeding and wander about to find a convenient place in which 
to spin their cocoons. Some of them are spun upon leaves, 
others in protected places on the trunk, in the grass, along 
fences or upon out-buildings. The moths appear during the 
latter part of June or early in July and the eggs are laid at 
once, thus completing the life cycle. 
The larva, the pupa and the adult stages are shown in Plates 
XXXIV to XXXVI as follows: Plate XXXIV, Figs. 1 and 2, 
are from photographs from life showing dorsal and lateral views 
of the same caterpillar, natural size. Plate XXXV, Fig. 1, is 
from another view of the same twig taken the following day. 
