Page:Hardwicke's Science-Gossip - Volume 1.pdf/142

The summer of 1857 was one of the hottest I ever remember, and therefore one that ought to have seen great things accomplished in the search for truth among the lower ranks of animals. I am now going to give an account of some roadside inhabitants which fell in the way of my sister in that year—not that they were of any peculiar kind, but some of the things we observed in their habits were very interesting, and will show what a large share of that wonderful faculty, instinct—so profound in its depths even in the lowest beings—has been bestowed upon creatures holding this rank in the scale of life.

It was on the 5th of June that, when passing along the road on the moors close to the watering-place of Clevedon, in the Bristol Channel, my sister saw a white nest in the slow bushes. On examining it, she found it was full of tiny little black larvæ, about as long as a finger-nail,^[1] apparently not long out of the eggs, but which had safely housed themselves, even at this tender age, within the precincts of a snug home. Gently transferring the whole to her handkerchief, that universal receptacle for sundry sticks, stones, and creatures, when in the possession of a naturalist of any type, she conveyed it home in safely. There she prepared for her charge a large deal box about 21 inches square, fitted with a perforated zinc top to admit air and light. As the days passed by, the little creatures grew marvellously big creatures, and their appetites were even more marvellous. My sister being unable to go out to obtain food for them, I used to undertake that business every morning, bringing in arm-loads of sloe bush, as much as I could carry; but in a short space of time not a vestige of it remained but the bare dry wood of the branches, and often I had to go out again and again to obtain more. Those voracious little creatures never would be satisfied I thought, and sometimes I inwardly wished they had remained on the moors—a wish never, however, breathed to my sister. I think they would have eaten up ourselves in ten minutes' time if we had only been made of sloe bushes. The moment the box was opened, dozens of little black heads were over the sides, and clambering on the branches almost before they could be put in. They were like a lot of hungry schoolboys. In the clamour and confusion that prevailed when the box was opened, it was no wonder if two or three of the naughty little creatures made a clandestine escape. This occurred several times, and my sister was surprised soon afterwards, when seated in the drawing-room, to discover the long body of one of her friends complacently hanging to the fringe of her shawl, or by a tickling sensation to feel it quietly creeping up her wrist. Then the truant was speedily conveyed back to its home, from whence it had strayed, with sundry reprimands and reproofs.

They clung on to the edge of the leaf by their numerous legs, and commenced eating, from the top of the leaf, nibbling it straight downwards as far as they could reach, then raising their heads again to the top, they again nibbled downwards, thus forming a curve in the edge of the leaf. Their habits of taking their food and the times of their meals were as regular as those of the most perfect epicure. They filed out of the nest one at a time, crowding on the heels of one another at their meal-hour, and took up their station on the branches, each scrambling for a corner at the repast. As soon as all had finished, as if a signal-bell had been rung, with one consent they marched back into the nest for sleep and digestion. There were three or four holes in the silken web, just large enough to admit one Caterpillar at a time. These holes were beautifully finished at the edges, no raw work or roughness could be detected; it was the most beautiful selvidge I ever saw. When all went into the nest after eating, they left one lying outside each hole as a sentinel to keep guard; thus showing their perfect understanding of danger and its consequent troubles. We tried experiments with them, by tapping gently on the nest, or moving a bit of the branch on which it lay, and immediately the watchful sentinel made his signal, and out came numbers of the little people from the city,—the soldiers of the community, I suppose. When they found all was quiet, and that it was a false alarm, they soon retreated again to their slumbers. If we broke away a little bit of the nest, the masons were immediately set on to repair the breach, and the in-