306 INSECTS OF MASSACHUSETTS. 



translation of Cuvier's " Animal Kingdom ; " and I have adopted 

 the specific name given to it by Dr. Boisduval in these works. 

 Cerura borcalis, the northern Cerura or fork-tail moth, like 

 others of the genus, has the antennas feathered in both sexes, but 

 narrow, and tapering and bent upwards at the point ; the legs, 

 especially the first pair, which are stretched out before the body 

 when at rest, are, like those of our native Limacodes, very hairy ; 

 and the wings are thin and almost transparent. The ground-color 

 of our moth is a dirty white ; the fore-wings are crossed by two 

 broad blackish bands, the outer one of which is traversed and in- 

 terrupted by an irregular wavy whitish line ; the hinder margins 

 of all the wings are dotted with black, and there are several 

 black dots at the base and a single one near the middle of the 

 fore-wings ; the top of the thorax is blackish, and the collar is 

 edged with black. In some individuals the dusky bands of the 

 fore-wings are edged or dotted with tawny yellow ; in others 

 these wings are dusky, and the bands are indistinct. They ex- 

 pand from one inch and three eighths to one inch and three 

 quarters. 



Here should be placed some insects belonging to Mr. Doub- 

 leday's proposed genus Balia, whose caterpillars strongly resem- 

 ble those of Cerura, while the moths have most of the characters 

 of the European genus Stauropus or Harjiya. These insects, 

 though not uncommon in the Middle and Southern States, have 

 not yet been found in Massachusetts. They evidently lead, 

 through Harpya Ulmi and Milhauseri, to the Notodontians called 

 unicornis and concinna. 



The following insects, for the sake of convenience, may be 

 included in the old genus Notodonta. The first of them is found 

 in August and September on plum and apple trees, and, accord- 

 ing to Mr. Abbot*, on the red-berried alder, Prinos verticillatus. 

 The top of the fourth ring of this caterpillar rises in the form of 

 a long horn, sloping forwards a little; the tail, with the hindmost 

 feet, which are rather longer than the others, is always raised 

 when the insect is at rest, but it generally uses these legs in 

 walking ; its head is large, and of a brown color ; the sides of 



* " Insects of Georgia," p. 171, pi. 86. 



