Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-05-05
Processionnry CaterpilIars.

While out for walk the other day we came
across curious incident 10 uaural history At
Can Martin, about TWO miles from Meutone.
our attention was attracted by something by
the roadside which looked at q little dlstanoo
like long, thin serpent. At first We thought
il best not to 20 very near, but curiosity pre-.
vailed, aud upon closer Inspection we found II
was loug lnc, consisting OF DlDety-nlre cater
pillars, crawling IN single file close alter one
another Our curiosity led Us to remove one
from the middle. a little dlstaucc from the
others, and we found his place was soon h'led
up; but be crawled back to them aud edged his
way into the lire again. Theu We removed
the leader; this brough, them to standsllll.
After little while they began to move On, and
then We put the original leader IN his proper
place, but this brought them again to stand
still, aud from the way they moved their heads
from side to side, q great deal Of talking seem.
ed to be going Oh, and they decided their orig
pal leader was not lit to lead and they chose
another, while he had to make bis way into the
line lower down. \ little further on we saw
another line Of forty.tour coming up in the op.
posite direction, aud VIC were curious to sec
what would happen when they met, imagining
thew might perhaps have fight; but such was
not the case; they joined the others oy degrees,
and 80 made much longer line and marched on.
We have since beard they climb some par
ticular kind of trees and make their nests III
them, which has very Injurious effect, and
often kills the trcos, unlGss the branches arc
cut eff which holds the nests.
In an Interesting little work on Insect ar
chitecturc, published in $780, mention Is made
of these social caterpIllars, the construction OF
their nests, and their processlonary habits.
The writer SAYS "It is remarkable that how.
ever far they may ramblc from their nests,
thew never fail TO find their way back when
shower of rain or nigbtiail renders necessary.
| 1t REQUIRES 10 great shrcWdncss to discover
how they effect this, for by looking closely at
their track it will be found that it is carpe,ed
| With silk, no Individual moving 40 loch without
| constructing such pathway, both for the uso
of his compauions aud to facilitate his OVID re-
turn. All these calerpat3, therefore, move
| more or less in professional order, each follow
| ing the road which the first chance traveller
has marked out with his strip OF silk carpet
ing" Further remarks are made or two species
more remarkable than others IN the regularity
of their professional marchlngs. These arc
found 10 the south Of Europe, but are not 10
digepous 10 Britain. The one uawed by Reau'
muir the processIonary (Cneth0cdnlpa pro,
| ceSSLONeH) fccCS upon tnc odh o'"'N
d,yldiog, when newly matched, lato orc or
more uarties of several hu0dred individuals,
which uitrrward unite 10 co:suu: lag com
uou nest, nearly two feet loeg ana from fruI
t. six iLches 10 diameter. 1t is DOT dlVlueo
ioto chamucrs, but LISTS OF QUE large na!L, so
that il is not necessary that here snug Do
more openings hlu oot; and ac:ord'ogly WEED
au indly dua, goes out and carpets path, thc
whole coony ios'ipc lively follow 10 tie t:a'H'
lttouph. from tie immnose population, they
are ofteo compelled TO march 10 parallel n!es
from two to SIX deep. The prtce '>loo Is Away
headed by u slDg.e caterpillar; soustlnes inc
loader i. Immediately toito""d oy ooe or Two 10
SINGLE file, and somciioi BY two ABREAST. a
q mllsr procedure ls to.l,wed oy species OF
soci Al caterplar wnlcu 1-cIs on the pine 10
SAVOY aud LaogusdJc. aad their o. s,s are DOT
half the siz. Of the preccdIug; they are more
worthy of uotce trom he sIroog aod exc 'Ilent
q ,ahty Of their 81 K, which R:aunur "as ot
opioion might Ue advaorageousIy % ou1sctuf
ed. Their nests conset OF more chambers tnao
ooe, bu. are furnished with u main eo'ranoe'
through which the. colonists conduot their io1'
agioy PROFESSIONS.
The lady whose remarks are recorded ABOVE
has since written that the species soe OBSERVED
feeds upou the pin- trees 10 the oelghoorhooo
| Of Msntone.-S. ". u, in Harducke's Sc''
lacs Gossip.