258 PAINTING OF CATERPILLARS. 



shoulder-blade, not unlike the form of St. Andrew's cross or 

 the letter X, and a white line drawn down his back to his 

 tail ; all which add much beauty to his whole body." We 

 must notice by the way, that what in the above are designated 

 " eyes black as jet," are only eye-like spots on the fore part 

 of the broad, fleshy shoulders, which, when " puss " is sitting 

 up, according to frequent custom, a la Sphinx, surround and 

 overlap his head in fashion of a cowl. But it is the pencil, 

 not the pen, which must give our readers the best notion of 

 this (describe it as we may) still nondescript animal. We 

 refer them, therefore, to his picture,* which will bring them, 

 we think, readily acquainted with the original, when, perhaps 

 in next July, they may happen to encounter him perched, not 

 always loftily, on branch of poplar or of willow. The cater- 

 pillar " pusses " in existence then will be offspring of parent 

 moths (as yet chrysalides), and slumbering till May in wood- 

 built cells within their native trees. On these we have touched 

 already, as subjects of " Life in Death." 



We have sometimes found in September, upon elm and 

 lime trees, also on the pear, a caterpillar, of what moth M<; 

 know not, remarkable for a high protuberance towards the 

 head, resembling an upright horn, with another like a tail to- 

 wards the hinder extremity. Gayest of the gay is itspanur, 

 in a combination of yellow, scarlet, black, and white, and 

 brown (the very colours of the goldfinch), and these so ar- 



* See Vignette to "A Midsummer Day's Dream." 



