Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 27.djvu/399

Rh from the difficulty of detecting the little objects, like pins' heads, upon the leaves and flowers where they are laid. Eggs are usually stuck fast to the under side of the more tender leaves of the plant, though this rule is not invariable, either as to position or choice of leaf. Usually the outer leaves are chosen, and by turning them up with care and running the eye over them, and especially down the midrib, the little whitish or greenish egg may be seen. It requires good eyes and much patience, but I have found the eggs of about twenty species in this way: those of the "bee-hawk" on honeysuckle, of the "Cecropia" on apple and lilac bushes, the "white-lined-hawk" on purslane, etc. The "lackey-moths" (Clisiocampa) and the "deer-moths" (Hemileuca) lay their eggs in circular patches around the smaller branches of fruit and oak trees. The eggs are found sometimes to have been stung by a little clear-winged fly, and out of these, instead of the expected caterpillar, only the tiny but full-grown parasite escapes.

The rearing of larvæ or caterpillars may be conducted on a variety of plans. I have found an upright box, with glass in front, and perforated zinc for the sides, or fine wire netting and a solid door at back, by which the fresh food is introduced, very serviceable. A drawer at bottom is filled with fine washed sand, over which is placed a layer of garden-mold, and then a covering of moss. The food is placed in short water-bottles, to keep it fresh, and the caterpillars are placed on these. But, when a boy, I reared many species in an empty butter-tub, covered by common gauze. Almost all caterpillars may be handled with impunity. Some of them are ferocious-looking enough to inspire a fear of their biting powers, but they are unable to hurt us in this way. The caterpillars of the "hawk-moths" have a formidable looking horn on the last segment or ring of the body. I have noticed that inexperienced persons often mistake the position of this horn; they regard it as being in front, whereas it is attached to the tail-end of the larva. There is nothing "poisonous" about any of these caterpillars, but two kinds cause a painful irritation to the skin when touched with the hand, by means of the fine hairs which are thus forced into the pores, and, the tips breaking off, cause fever and pain as from a bee-sting. These two are the odd-looking caterpillar of the "brown hag-moth" (Empretia stimulea), and the delicate-green caterpillar, with pink and white stripe on the side, of the "corn emperor" (Hyperchivia so). Other hairy caterpillars may also produce more or less discomfort when handled, but the frightful stories which circulate in the newspapers from time to time, of people being stung to death by the caterpillars they chanced upon, are all false. Caterpillars can not sting, for the simple reason that they have nothing to sting with, and when an injury of this kind has been really inflicted it will be found to have been occasioned by something other than a caterpillar.

Hunting for caterpillars is attended usually by more success than the seeking for eggs of moths. One can readily detect the presence of