142 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



When at rest, this magnificent caterpillar (which, by the way, is very 

 similar to that of its congener, Telea polyphemus, save that the latter is 

 destitute of the lateral yellow stripe, and the bands between the segments, 

 the tail being bordered by a brown V-shaped mark) is nearly as thick as 

 a man's thumb ; its rings being bunched and body shortened, the length 

 is only about two inches, but when it sets out on its travels, it stretches 

 itself to about three inches. In the Can. P^nt. (vol. 6, p. 86) Mr. Gentry 

 describes an interesting variety in which the general color is a dull red- 

 dish brown ; the lateral and transverse stripes of yellow have vanished, 

 the abdominal spots shine conspicuously, but without the yellow edging ; 

 the pearl colored warts with their purple edge have, however, assumed a 

 richer hue, and blaze like a coronet of rubies. 



When the larva has passed its allotted days in eating the leaves of the 

 hickory, beech, oak, or walnut, and is thinking seriously of preparing its 

 silken shroud and the casket in which it is to lie until its resurrection 

 morn, it casts about and draws together two or three leaves of a tree, and 

 within this hollow spins an oval and very close and strong cocoon of 

 whitish silk. It is about i ^ inches in length, of a chestnut brown on the 

 outside ; very thin, and frequently rough on the surface ; covered with 

 warts and excresences, but seldom showing the print of leaves. Harris 

 says that the cocoons are formed on the trees, and that they fall to earth 

 with the leaves shaken off by autumnal gales ; but other observers assert 

 that the larva crawls to the ground just before its change, and there 

 prepares for its future transformations. 



In this state, too, the Luna greatly resembles the Polyphemus, and 

 many a collector having — after careful searching — got together a fair 

 supply of what he deems Luna chrysalids, is greatly chagrined by finding 

 dusky, one-eyed, giant Polyphemi issue from the silken tombs, instead of 

 a bright throng of empresses of the night in their delicate bridal attire. 

 The Polyphemus cocoons are, however, white or dirty white ; rather 

 smaller than the Lunas, with rounded ends ; sometimes angular, because 

 of leaves moulded unevenly into the surface, and generally coated with a 

 white powder. 



About the month of June the Lunas awake from their long and death- 

 like sleep, burst asunder their cerements — having first loosened the 

 compact threads by ejecting a liquid — and issue forth in all their glory, 

 no more to be mistaken for the sober one-eyed Cyclopeans, but 

 resplendent in gay attire. The wings, which expand from 4^ to 5^4 



