3 34 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



these often unwelcome visitors by the damage they do to the treas- 

 ures of the gardener and farmer. Many kinds feed in clusters, and 

 make nests into which they retire in the daytime, separating usually 

 before full grown and to make their cocoons. The larger species are 

 all solitary, and some are the most beautiful objects one can wish to 

 see. The caterpillar of the " imperial moth," which may be found on 

 the horse-chestnut, tulip, and gum trees in Central Park every Sep- 

 tember, when it is full grown, is a thick, green worm, as long as the 

 thumb, with four beautifully notched horns on the back, behind the 

 head. Delicate hairs adorn the body, and the fleshy feet behind are 

 ornamented by a design in black-and-white, looking like bead-work, 

 and as if the creature wore Indian moccasins. In April and May w r e 

 may find the larvae of species which pass the winter in that state. One 

 of our handsomest caterpillars is that of the "great Indian moth" (Ec- 

 pautheria scribonia), black, studded with bristles and with the inci- 

 sions of the rings of the body marked in scarlet. I have fancied that 

 this caterpillar is the one noted by the Indians, and sung of by Long- 

 fellow in " Hiawatha." 



It is very interesting, no matter what the species is, to watch it 

 through all its changes, and be rewarded finally by the moth disclos- 

 ing all its fresh beauties before our eyes, as it hangs on the side of 

 the breeding-cage. The caterpillars of the "hawk-moths," and many 

 " owlet-moths," enter the ground to pupate ; and for this purpose the 

 sand and soil in the bottom of the breeding-cage must not be kept too 

 dry, nor suffered to become hard. Those which do not go into the 

 ground will transform within cocoons spun among the moss, or on the 

 sides of the breeding-cage. 



To collect the perfect moths, an empty quinine-bottle must be pre- 

 pared by putting a few small lumps of cyanide of potassium on the 

 bottom, and pouring on sufficient plaster of Paris to cover them per- 

 fectly. When the plaster is set, the fumes of the decomposing cya- 

 nide penetrate through the plaster, and the moth introduced into the 

 bottle is almost instantly killed. Poison-bottles, so prepared, are in- 

 dispensable to the collector, and they can be recommended on account 

 of the speedy and probably painless death which they inflict. The 

 objection to entomology is its apparent cruelty. I think that an un- 

 necessary number of specimens are sometimes killed by the enthusi- 

 astic collector, but, after a little, this fault will be corrected by reflec- 

 tion and experience. When we recollect that insects are the main 

 store of food to numberless birds and animals, besides falling a prey to 

 each other, so that the greater proportion meet a violent death in any 

 case, the comparatively small number which fall a sacrifice to the 

 pleasure of the collector, or supply the studies of scientists, can not in 

 reason be objected to. Our aesthetic pleasures are increased by the 

 contemplation of the lovely colors and delicate patterns which adorn 

 the wings of moths. 



