MOTHS. 309 



it strip leaf after leaf from the branch. These 

 caterpillars are very interesting types for children 

 to watch, and, when placed in a box, the pupation 

 of the caterpillar is most eagerly watched and 

 enjoyed by most children. Also we have seen chil- 

 dren greatly excited over the emergence of one of 

 the adults, for these moths give long warning of 

 their approaching exit by the ' ^ scrape ! scrape ! 

 scrape!" as they cut their way through their 

 rounded, tough, smooth cocoons. (Plate 38, Figs. 

 3 and 4.) A moth takes some time to cut its way 

 out, and it scrapes for a time, and then rests, and 

 one could easily imagine one had a mouse in the 

 room until searching produced a box with a for- 

 gotten cocoon within. 



Another type is the ''long-nosed wattle moth" 

 {Bombyx nasuta), so called on account of the 

 pointed projection on the front of the head. It 

 is a reddish-brown moth. These caterpillars shoAV 

 a fine example of protective colouration, for we 

 found one on the stem of Acacia bailey ana 

 (Cootamundra silver wattle) and hardly realised 

 that just below -were three others. The cocoon is 

 white and silken. 



Pinara despecta is terra-cotta in colour, and larvse 

 feed on gum-leaves. The cocoons are pink and 

 silken. 



The silkworm of commerce is Bombyx mori. 



