9 6 



SILKWORMS. 



fore wings. Promethea is somewhat similarly coloured, but the 

 " eyes " are reduced to pale v-shaped marks of which there are 

 two on each fore wing, and one on each hind wing. The male is 

 very deeply coloured, but the female much paler and more tinged 

 with pink. 



P. Cecropia is the largest of the American silk producers, 



Fig- 35- Actias Luna. 



measuring upwards of six inches in expanse of wings, it feeds on 

 many trees, such as plum, apple, pear, willow, poplai, maple, etc., 

 but it is difficult to rear in this country. It forms an extremely 

 large brown cocoon, which is open at one end. The caterpillar 

 of C. Promethea, when young, is white, marked with black rings 

 or spots, but when fully grown is greenish, with black spots, those 

 on the second and third segments carrying tall, red, cylindrical 

 prominences. On the last segment but two there is also a cen- 

 tral prominence of an orange colour. It feeds on lilac and wild 



