89 



This magnificent insect belongs to the same Family as the well known Chinese Silk 

 Worm, Bombyx mori. It has received the especial name of The American Silk Worm, 

 because for all practical purposes it is the only American silk-spinner now known that 

 can be rendered of any commercial value. For many years Scricicultnre or the art of 

 raising silk producing insects, has been very seriously threatened with great loss if not 

 entire destruction by the various epidemic diseases that affect the Mulberry silk-worm. 

 Much attention has therefore been paid lately towards acclimatizing in Europe and else- 

 where, other silk producing Bombyces in order to supersede if necessary the mulberry 

 species. Telea Polyphemus being found easy of propagation, its whole history is well 

 known and we, therefore, purpose to give our readers a detailed account of its various 

 transformations, the more especially as it is a tolerably common insect and from its size 

 and splendiil appearance both as lar\'a and moth, it is sure to attract attention and excite 

 the curiosity of those who see it. Hitherto it has been supposed to feed only on oak, and 

 those who have bred it in large numbers for the silk market have raised it exclusively 

 on oak leaves, but it, nevertheless, frequcnth' attacks the maples and from the enormous 

 size of the caterpillar and its voracious appetite, a gieat deal of damage is often done. 

 Figures 28, 29 are admirable illustrations of the perfect moth, male and female. Dr. 

 Harris thus describes its appearance : " Its wings are cut ofl" almost square at the comers. 

 It is of a dull ochre-yellow colour 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 the eye spot 

 of the hind wings is a large blue spot shading into black ; near the hinder margin of the 

 wings is a dusky band edged with reddish white behind ; on the front margin of the 

 fore wings is a gi-ay stripe which also crosses the fore part of the thorax, and near the 

 base of the same wings are two short red lines edged with white." On the under side 

 the colours are paler, but the bands are more distinct. The antenme are broad especially in 

 the male and deeply pectinated. The wings expand from five to six inches. Wlien at 

 rest the wings are held elevated above the body like those of a butterfly, but if disturbed 

 they are spread out flat, both pairs being displayed. The moth usually flies towards dusk 

 or in the early part of the evening. The moths make their first appearance about the 

 month of June. The female lays a large number of eggs ; she deposits them on the 

 andersideof the leaves leaving but a single egg in each place. 



Mr. L. Trouvelot, in an admirable article in the American Naturalist, has given a very 

 interesting account of his success in raising large broods of these caterpillars, having had 

 in 1 865, five acres of woodland swarming with insect life, numbering not less than a million. 

 According to Wm " the incubation of the egg lasts from ten to twelve days." The cater- 

 pillar eats its way out of the egg, the shell of which it devours. The Lan'a (Fig 30) at^ 

 tains its maturity in about 70 days, having changed its skin five times during that period. 



It is about three inches in 

 Flo. 30. length, though it has a pe- 



culiar fashion of contract- 

 ing its body, and hunching 

 up its segments, when not 

 in motion. Its colour is 

 pale bluish green. The 

 segments are covered with 

 orange or reddisii warts, or 

 tubercles which have a 

 pearly lustre, and are fur- 

 nislied at their extremities 

 with a few hairs. The head 

 and feet are brown, and the 

 tail or anal segment is bor- 

 dered with a brown V- 

 shaped line. The sides of 

 the body are striped obli- 

 quely with white. 

 The cocoon, (Fig 31) which is of a regular oval shape and about two inches long, is formed 



(!olour — Pale, bluish green— orange spot*. 



