New-York tribune., 1902-10-31
NATURE STUDY.
Ak AMUSING BOOK ABOUT CATER
PILLARS AND MOTHS

Mitchell Eliot and Caroline Gray Soule loino
pp. Kill SO. The Century company
There is a satisfying quality In this book that
comes from the authors deDendence on their
own experience in hunting and observing eggs
pupa osterpars and moths, rather than on
4 store Of scientific book knowledge. The ex-
position,i made almost narrative by constant
reference to IN, various lucky discoveries or
disappointing mishaps which have hefallen the
authors during twenty years OF study. And
the rlimpses 0f their difficulties in keeping
specimens under control avoiding the criti-
cism of fellow guests at summer hotels together
with stories of the aid rendered by enterprisng
Young children who have acted as collectors
FOR them add touch of amusement 20 the
book Throughout the story OF their adventures
these Investigators Of The Crawlery.' as they
dubbed their workroom, maintain a light and
undogmatic tone. speaking Of themselves sew
orally as zone of Is"
They devote a fourth II the book, which they
dedicate 10 THE teachers and children who
have begged" them to write II, 10 a general dis
,ussiou and description OF The habits OF the
moths IN dcpositing eggs, i'm The caterpillar
stage. IN the cocoon and uPon emergence as
moths proper. and TO the methods of hunting
and caring for specimens. The second part
contains series Of life histories notes found
od on their own experience Of forty-three spe-
cies. which are commonly found over a wide
range Of the United States. Various theories
shout caterpillars are not borne out by the Oh
servations Of the authors The idea. for in
stance that moths have mother love Tor
tho young. which they never live 10 see Is
ridiculed The idea that the sex Of the cater
piar can be regulated by the amount OF 1000
given il Is also disputed. also the notion that
HF.v. fS ar,aFF1p prlz
The eggs are ordinarily deposited on leaves
or tu-igs and fastened there by a glutnous
euid Rut in some species the eggs are merely
sronned 10 the ground Eggs are not often
found together, except in the event of moth ;
heing unable to emerge from its cocoon ana de-
posi,ing its eggs about the inner surface. In
the caterpillar stage the whole duty II the
organism is 10 eat and live. In some species
the caterpillars have to cat enough to support
life through the moth stage, when they are no'
proyided with means Of taking food. The func-
tion Of the moth is TO reproduce its kind. There
S no care of the young, as the moth dies soon
afterward.
one Of the species described in the life his
tories" though a common moth, had sur
prising irregularity Of habits. This is the EA-
coecatus. several broods observed had egg
reriods varying from ten TO seven days -FOUR
rnolts AT different times various terms OF pupa-
tion. and i'm color running the gamut from yei-
lovy-creen and white-green 10 blue-green, with
some changing IN the mott from bue-GTeen to
vellow-green. while caterpars OF the same
species had been heard of with red spots, ike
the nlyops This sort Of experience has led the
authors 10 avoid the tendency TO generalize,
as what is true Of one brood may be untrue Of
another of the same species This more than
justifies the episode treatment selected, ana
gives the book the stamp OF being founded
primarily on original research. There is one
snecies described which gave much trouble by
quick craving This was the Carye, the "nlte
caterpillar. with a row Of black buttons down
its back" that has the habit OF dropping down
on ones Clothes ana making mad dash for
ones neck In the later stages these enter
prisng movers improved each shining minute
10 such advantage whenever their boxes had
TO be opened that the children used 10 beg tc
come in and see the white circus" The book is
illustrated by photographs taken by Miss Edith
Eliot OF the moths and caterpilars OF each
species described. in the latter case from live
specimens.