[Illustration: FIG. 17.]
The eggs hatch about the time the buds burst, or before, and the young
caterpillars go for some time without food, but they are hardy and
have been known to live three weeks with nothing to eat, although the
weather was very cold.
[Illustration: FIG. 18.]
As soon as hatched they spin a silken thread wherever they go, and
when older wander about in search for food. The caterpillars are about
one and a half inches long when fully grown, Fig. 18. The general
color is pale blue, tinged with greenish low down on the sides, and
everywhere sprinkled with black dots or points, while along the middle
of the back is a row of white spots each side of which is an orange
yellow stripe, and a pale, cream yellow stripe below that. These
stripes and spots are margined with black. Each segment has two
elevated black points on the back, from each of which arise four or
more coarse black hairs. The back is clothed with whitish hairs, the
head is dark bluish freckled with black dots, and clothed with black
and fox-colored hairs, and the legs are black, clothed with whitish
hairs.
At this stage the caterpillars may be seen wandering about on fences,
trees, and along the roads in search of a suitable place to spin their
cocoons, which are creamy white, and look very much like those of the
common tent caterpillar, except that they are more loosely
constructed.
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