but sorne reach a length of two and a half inches when fully stretched out. In Connecticut, the tent caterpillars begin to go into their sixth and last stage about the middle of May. They now change their habits in many ways, disregarding the conventionalities and refusing the responsibilities that bound them in their earlier stages. They do little if any spinning on the tent, hOt even keeping it in decent repair. They stay out all night to feed (Fig. 147) , unless adverse weather interferes, thus merging dinner into breakfast in one long nocturnal repast. This is attested by observa- tions made through most of several nights, when the caterpillars of four colonies which went out at the usual time in the evenings were round feeding till at least four o'clock the following mornings, but were always back in the tents at seven-thirty a.m. When the caterpillars begin these all-night banquets, they dispense with the mid- day lunch, their crops being so crammed with food by morning that the entire day is required for its digestion. Sonne writers have described the tent caterpillars as nocturnal feeders, and sonne have said they feed three tirnes a day. Both statements, it appears, are correct, but the observers have hOt noted that the two habits pertain to different periods of the caterpillars' history. At any time during the caterpillars' lires adverse weather conditions may upset their daily routine. For two weeks during May, days and nights had been fair and generally warm, but on the ITth the temperature did not get above 65 ° F., and in the afternoon threatening clouds covered the sky. In the evening light rains fell, but the caterpillars of the rive colonies under observation carne out as usual for dinner and were still feeding when last ob- served at nine p.m. Rains continued through the night, however, and the temperature stood almost stationary between 50 ° and 55 °. The next morning three of the small trees containing the colonies were festooned with water-soaked caterpillars, all
[ OE76 ]
THE
