of the tree; where it spins a nidus of loose texture, composed of the saw-dust of the tree, mixed with the silk which it produces from its own body. In this state it continues about forty days, before it is perfected.

Mr. Haworth, in his Lepidoptera Britannica, states, that, probably, the best mode of preventing the mischief occasioned by these insects, would be to search for and destroy the sluggish females, at the end of June; since, from their large size, they would readily be found sticking upon the trees near the infected parts.

THE BROWN-TAIL MOTH •

In the years 1780, 1781, and 1782, the attention of the public was strongly excited by the unusual appearance of infinite numbers of large white webs, containing caterpillars, which were conspicuous on almost every hedge, tree, and shrub, in the vicinity of London. Much alarm was excited in the minds of the superstitious, the weak, and the timid. Many persons, absurdly enough, supposed them to be a presage of the plague; and others asserted that their numbers were so great, that they would render the air pestilential, and would destroy every kind of vegetable, and starve the cattle in the fields. Some idea may be formed of their numbers, from the statement made by Mr. Curtis, in his History of this insect, that, in one day, four-score bushels of them were collected, for the purpose of being burnt, in the parish of Clapham. They chiefly abound

* DESCRIPTION. The wings of this Moth are white. The rays of the antennæ are ferruginous; and the abdomen is terminated with brown hairs.

SYNONYMS. Phalana (bombyx) phæorrhæus. Bombyx phæorrhæus. Haworth.-Brown-tail Moth. Curtis's Short History of the Brown-tail Moth.

ed on the hawthorn, the oak, elm, black-thorn, rosetrees, brambles, and fruit-trees.

These moths issue from the chrysalis about the beginning of July, at which time they may be found flying about slowly, especially in the evening, and depositing their eggs on the foliage of the above-mentioned trees and shrubs. The caterpillars are hatched early in the autumn. As soon as they have quitted the egg, they set about spinning a web; and having formed a small one, they proceed to feed on the foliage, by eating the upper surface of the leaf, and leaving only the underside and ribs. It is curious to observe with what regularity they marshal themselves for this purpose. Thus they proceed, daily spinning and enlarging their web, into which they always retreat at night, and in bad weather, for shelter and protection. In a few weeks, their operations begin to be visible on the trees.

At this period, the insects are easily destroyed, as the entire nest may at once be cut off with a pruning knife, a sharp hook, or a pair of gardener's shears. And it is stated, that no remedy short of the actual removing of the webs, and burning or crushing the insects, will avail. Lotions, fumigations, and various kinds of vermin-powder, have been applied, but to no purpose. They are too strongly enveloped in their webs to be affected by any of these.

In about three weeks from their being hatched, the caterpillars change their skins; a process which they undergo four or five times, at different periods of their growth. This usually occupies several days. Afterwards they proceed, as before, enlarging their web, and extending their daily foraging excursions, until the winter comes on, when they are confined entirely to their silken habitation. They now not only secure the general web on all sides as strongly as they can, but each individual spins a case for itself. Here they rest in a state of torpid security, until the genial warmth of spring animates them afresh, and informs them that

the all-bountiful Author of Nature hath provided the "food convenient for them." Thus apprized, they issue forth in the day-time, and in fine weather, as before; but having acquired stronger powers, and the foliage they now have to encounter being more tender, they become less scrupulous in their feeding, and devour the whole of it.

A disposition to associate, usually continues with them, until they have changed their last skins, when they separate, each endeavouring to provide, in the best manner it is able, for itself. A few of them, however, are sometimes found continuing together to the last, when each spins a separate web, in which it changes to a chrysalis. This usually takes place about the beginning of June. Here, in a state of perfect quietude, it remains about three weeks, until it undergoes its final change.

These insects are so common in England, as to be found, every year, in considerable abundance; but the cause of the unusual increase of them in the years above-mentioned, cannot satisfactorily be accounted for, and will, perhaps, be for ever concealed from our knowledge.

THE BARRED TREE LACKY MOTH*.

Towards the conclusion of autumn, and before the fall of the leaf, the females of this species deposit their eggs, in a very beautiful ring, round the tender twigs of apple-trees. These eggs are arranged in fifteen or twenty spiral rows, in close and symmetrical contact. They are hatched in the spring, as soon as the leaves

* DESCRIPTION. The thorax and wings are somewhat of a buff-colour. The upper wings have two ferruginous streaks. The caterpillars are glaucous, with a white line down the back,

and three red ones on the sides.

SYNONYMS. Phalana (bombyx) neustria. Linn.-Bombyx neustrius. Haworth.-La Livrée. Cuvier.

appear.

The young-ones do not separate, but live in one society, and form for themselves one common web, which they enlarge from time to time, as their necessities require.

These caterpillars are very destructive to fruit-trees; which are sometimes quite defoliated by them, and covered over with their webs, contracting thereby a sickly and unpleasant appearance. The best mode of destroying them is stated to be by shaking the branches violently, either with the hand, or with a pole having a hook to it. This brings them quickly to the ground, where they may easily be destroyed.

As soon as the Caterpillar has attained its full growth, towards the end of the spring, it spins, between two leaves, a nidus of whitish silk, of an elongated form, and covered with a yellowish kind of powder. Within this it changes to a chrysalis, and, about twenty days afterwards, to a perfect Moth.

THE CLOTHES MOTH*.

The larva of this little Moth is well known from the damage it commits in woollen cloth and furs. These substances constitute the principal support of the caterpillar, and therefore the parent is, by its natural instinct, directed to deposit its eggs in them. The caterpillar, as soon as it quits the egg, begins to form for itself a nest: for this purpose, after having spun a fine coating of silk immediately around its body, it cuts the filaments, of the wool or fur, close to the thread of the cloth, or to the skin. This operation is performed by its jaws, which act in the manner of scissors. The pieces are cut into convenient lengths, and applied, with great dexterity, one by one, to the outside of its case; and to this it fastens them by means of its silk. Its

Linn.-Tinea

SYNONYMS. Phalana (tinea) sarcitella. sarcitella. Fabricius. Haworth.-La Teigne fripière. Tigny.

covering being thus formed, the little caterpillar never quits it but in the most urgent necessity. When it wants to feed, it puts out its head at either end of its case, as bests suits its conveniency. When it wishes to change its place, it puts out its head, and its six forelegs, by means of which it moves forward, taking care first to fix its hind legs into the inside of the case, so as to drag it along.

It lives in this manner, until, by the augmentation of its size, its case becomes too small for the body. When this is felt, it begins by making a small addition to one end; then, turning itself within the case, which, in the middle, is always wide enough for that purpose, it makes a little addition to the other end, so as still to preserve the widest part exactly in the middle; and in similar manner it makes every successive addition.

The progress of its operations may be easily remarked, by transferring it from cloth of one colour to that of another. In this case every fresh addition will become conspicuous, by forming a small ring of their respective colours at each end, as they are used.

When the case wants widening, the insect, with its scissor-like teeth, begins by making a slit lengthways, from the centre to one of the extremities. This opening it instantly fills up with a thin stripe of wool externally, and silk internally, in the same manner as in the other parts. It afterwards, at a little distance from this, makes another slit at the same end, which it also fills up; then turning itself within, it repeats the same process from the centre to the other end.

After having changed within its case into a chrysalis, it issues, in about three weeks, a small winged nocturnal Moth, of silvery-gray colour, well known to almost every mistress of a family.

It may be useful to point out the best modes of preventing the havock, which these insects commit in our wardrobes and furniture. The smell of oil of turpentine is instantaneous death to them; if, therefore, the goods affected by them be put into a close place, along