Proceedings of the Annual Meeting Volume 16 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1856 Excerpt: ...the conclusion that they had been reared upon the ash tree, and when fully grown had migrated to this bush, though in doing so they passed several other lilac bushes, and selected this, perhaps, because growing against the side of the house it would be less apt to be visited by birds than those standing in the open yard. But this precaution did not save them. The last winter being unusually long and severe, our winter birds were obliged to forage more assiduously than usual, and before spring every one of these cocoons were perforated and its inmate destroyed. In other instances I have noticed these worms remaining till they were mature, upon small sprouts of the ash where they could be observed daily. From all these facts I am confident the ash is their favorite food. But when ready to spin their cocoons it is too laborious a task for them with their silken threads to tie the long leaf stalks of this tree to the limbs from which they grow, and I have very seldom known a cocoon to be placed upon this tree. CHERRY. LEAVES. Having finished feeding, the worms invariably repair to other trees having tough leathery leaves which will form a thick substantial mantle around the cocoon, and having short stems that can readily be tied to the twigs from which they grow. We cannot but admire the intelligence which they manifest in this procedure. Aiithors mention the sassafras, cherry, poplar, Azalea, Cephalanthus, snow-drop (Halesia) and bay, as the trees and shrubs on which the cocoons occur; but in this district it selects the lilac in preference to any of these. Few winters pass but that some of these cocoons may be seen on the lilacs in all our yards, and sometimes fifty or more will be observed upon a single bush. In the city of Albany they are equally as common ...