278 INSECTS OF MASSACHUSETTS. 



the rings, by transverse lines of the same yellow color ; on each 

 of the rings are about six minute pearl-colored warts, tinged with 

 purple or rose-red, and furnishing a few little hairs ; and at the 

 extremity of the body are three brown spots, edged above with 

 yellow. When this insect is at rest it is nearly as thick as a man's 

 thumb, its rings are hunched, and its body is shortened, not 

 measuring, even when fully grown, above two inches in length ; 

 but, in motion, it extends to the length of three inches or more. 

 When about to make its cocoon, it draws together, with silken 

 threads, two or three leaves of the tree, and within the hollow 

 thus formed spins an oval and very close and strong cocoon, about 

 one inch and three quarters long, and immediately afterwards 

 changes to a chrysalis. The cocoons fall from the trees in the 

 autumn with the leaves in which they are enveloped ; and the 

 moths make their escape from them in June. 



A caterpillar, closely resembling that of the Luna moth, may 

 be found on oaks, and sometimes also on elm and lime trees, in 

 August and September. Its sides are not striped with yellow, 

 and there are no transverse yellow bands on the back ; the warts 

 have a pearly lustre, more or less tinted with orange, rose-red, or 

 purple, and between the two lowermost on the side of each ring 

 is an oblique white line ; the head and the feet are brown ; and 

 the tail is bordered by a brown V shaped line. These caterpillars, 

 in repose, cling to the twigs of the trees, with their backs down- 

 wards, contract their bodies in length, and hunch up the rings 

 even more than those of the Luna moth, which, when fully 

 grown, they somewhat exceed in size. They make their cocoons 

 upon the trees in the same manner, with an outer covering of 

 leaves, which fall off in the autumn, bearing the enclosed tough 

 oval cocoons to the ground, where they remain through the win- 

 ter, and the moths come out in the month of June following. 

 Notwithstanding the great similarity of the caterpillar and its co- 

 coon to those of the Luna, the moth is entirely different. Its 

 hind-wings are not tailed, but are cut off almost square at the cor- 

 ners. It is of a dull ochre-yellow color, more or less clouded 

 with black in the middle of the wings, on each of which there is a 

 transparent eye-like spot, divided transversely by a slender line, 

 and encircled by yellow and black rings ; before and adjoining to 



