2S6 INSECTS OF MASSACHUSETTS. 



was found, fully grown, on an oak, towards the end of Septem- 

 ber ; it was destroyed, however, before I had an opportunity of 

 making a description of it. Mr. Abbot* has figured two of the 

 caterpillars, which differ from each other in color and markings. 

 They are nearly three inches long ; the head and all the feet are 

 red; and on each of the rings there are six long branched prickles. 

 One of these caterpillars is represented of a dusky brown color 

 mingled with yellow, with yellow warts from which the prickles 

 arise. The other is yellow, with red warts, and two black 

 stripes along the back. Mr. Abbot states that these caterpillars, 

 while small, feed together in company, but disperse as they grow 

 large ; they eat the leaves of various kinds of oaks ; sting very 

 sharply when handled ; and that they go into the ground to trans- 

 form ; but he does not inform us whether they make cocoons. 

 Probably their cocoons are like those of the Io moth, composed 

 of a gummy membranaceous substance, covered either with leaves 

 or with grains of earth. 



As far as I can ascertain, these six moths are the only Satur- 

 nians which have been discovered east of the Mississippi, and 

 they are commonly met with throughout the United States f . The 



* " Insects of Georgia," p. 99, pi. 50. 



t Mr. Audubon has figured two more, apparently sexes or varieties of one spe- 

 cies, in the fourth volume of his magnificent "Birds of America", pi. 359; but 

 has not named or described them. He informs me that they were taken by Mr. 

 ]\uttall near the Rocky Mountains. Through the kindness of Mr. Edward 

 Doubleday, of Epping, England, the present possessor of one of the very speci- 

 mens from which Mr. Audubon's drawing was made, an opportunity of examining 

 and describing this fine insect has been granted to me. Though differing some- 

 what from the other species of Saturnia, it approaches so near to the Maia that I 

 shall not venture to separate it from this genus, especially as the caterpillar and its 

 habits are unknown. It may be called Saturnia Hera, the latter (a generical name 

 proposed for it by Mr. Doubleday) is the name given by the Greeks to Juno. 

 The specimen before me is a male. It resembles the Maia in form and size, but 

 the wings are not quite so thin, and are more opake. The fore- wings, when the 

 insect is resting, probably cover the hind-wings, the front edge of which appears 

 to be formed to project a little beyond that of the fore-wings. It is of a pale yel- 

 low color ; on each of the wings there is a kidney-shaped black spot between two 

 transverse wavy black bands ; the outer margins are black ; the veins, from the 

 external black band to the edge arc marked with broad black lines ; and there is a 

 short black line at the base of the fore-wings; the head, forepart of the thorax, and 

 upper sides of the legs are deep ochre-yellow ; and the rings of the abdomen are 

 transversely banded with black at the base, and with ochre-yellow on their hinder 



