Book Description

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1870 edition. Excerpt: ...squared, eight feet square, and was over 160 feet long.--llawkci; "Alpine Journal," p. 297. ccssionalis, (1) my first acquaintance with which I had made in the woods round Cannes. Here," in Aitone, the smooth satin-like surface of these nests, shining like silver among the tall dark green pines, has a most curious effect; and not less strange, from time to time, are the long strings or processions--some of them ten or fifteen feet in length--of this extraordinary caterpillar crawling along the road, now parallel with its edge, now crossing it in unbroken file. In other parts, below trees more than commonly full of their nests, are great heaps, some of them as large as a half-bushel basket, of these creatures, apparently in a state of torpor, or only in motion towards the point from which their " follow my leader " institution is about to take place. Now and then, in passing under trees loaded with these bombyx bags, the thought that one may plump into one's face is not agreeable, for the hairs which come from these animals on the slightest touch occasion excessive and even dangerous irritation. But the questions arise, on seeing such myriads of these wonderful little brutes--do the nests fall down by their own weight, owing to the increasing size of the caterpillars? Or do the inmates at a certain time open their nests and fall down "spontaneous " to commence their linear expeditions? Do they, as some maintain, migrate in order to procure fresh food? It seems to me not so from what I have noticed of their habits; for though I have continually discovered them coming down the trunk of a pine-tree, I have never seen any going up. Rather is not all this movement preliminary to burrowing in the earth (as, indeed, the peasants about Cannes say...