12 



time in my house in the country, I brought an oak branch which was covered with them 

 into my study, where I could much better follow the order and regularity of their march than 

 I could have done in the woods. I was very much amused and pleased at watching them for 

 many days. I hung the branch on which I had brought them sigainst one of my window 

 shutters. When the leaves were dried up, when they had become too hard for the jaws of the 

 caterpillars, they tried to go and seek better food elsewhere. One set himself in motion, a 

 second followed at his tail, a third followed this one, and so one. They began to defile and 

 march up tlie shutter, but being so near to each other that the head of the second touched the 

 tail of the first. The single file was throughout continuous; it formed a perfect string of 

 caterpillars of about two feet in length, after which the line was doubled. Then two cater- 

 pillars marched abreast, but as near the one which preceded them, as those who were march- 

 ing in single file were to each other. After a few rows of our processionists who were two 

 abreast, came the rows of three abreast ; after a few of these came those who were four abreast ; 

 then there were those of five, others of six, others of seven and others of eight caterpillars. 

 TJiis troop so well mp.rshalled was led by the first. Did it halt, all the others halted ; did it - 

 begin again to march, all the others set themselves in motion and followed it with the greatest 

 precision. That which went on in my study goes on every day in the woods where these cater- 

 pillars live. When it is near sunset you may see coming out of any of their nests by the 

 opening which is at its top, which would hardly afford space for two to comeout abreast, one 

 caterpillar, as soon as it has emerged from the nest, it is followed by many others in single 

 file ; when it has got about two feet from the nest, it makes a pause during which those who 

 are still in the nest continue to come out ; they fall into their ranks, the battalion is formed ; 

 at last the leader sets off marching again, and all the others follow him. That which goes on 

 in this nest passes in all the neighbouring nests ; all are evacuated at the same time." 



According to " Harris," the caterpillars of the lo Moth do not spin a common web, but 

 when not eating thejj creep under a leaf where they cluster side by side. When about half 

 grown the caterpillars disperse, each seeking a location ibr itself They moult five times, the 

 larvae devouring their cast off spinous skins. After being in the larval state about eight weeks, 

 they arrive at maturity, and are then about two and a half inches long, and present the ap- 

 pearance of Pig. No. 1. 



Their food plants are very numerous. They have been found on Black Locust, Indian 

 Corn, Willows, Sassafrass, Wild Cherry, Elm, Hop Vine, Balsam, Balm of Gilead, Dogwood, 

 Choke Cherry, Currant, Cotton and Clover. I this year found twolarvaion the English Fil- 

 bert, and bred tliem to maturity on that plant. I have, however, more commonly found them 

 on the Choke Cherry. The larvaj when full grown ceases eating, and crawls to the ground, 

 where, amongst the loose leaves and rubbish, it forms a rough outer covering, within which it 

 makes a sliglit cocoon of tough, gummy, brown silk. In this retreat a transformation is soon 

 effected to the pupal or chrysalis state, from which, having remained therein during the winter 

 and spring months, the moth emerges in the perfect winged condition about the month of 

 June. 



The moths are remarkable for the difference between the sexes both in size and colour. 



r"i- 3. The male (Fig. 3), which is much the 



(^:T"~r^:.^ k i ^^1 smallest, is of a deep Indian or maize yel- 



i "■ "^' - ^ '■. ■ ' '-''^ colour. 



-I- ■ On the forewings are two oblique,wavy 



lines near the hind margin and a zig-zag 

 line near the base. There is also a large, 

 d.irk, reddish, central reniform spot or 

 blotch ; this is very marked in all the Cana- 

 dian specimens I have seen, although in the 

 cut, which is drawn by Mr. liiley, probably 

 from a specimen taken in the Western 

 States, the spot is not i<o distinct. The 

 hind wings are broadly shaded with purple 

 next to the body ; near the hinder margin is a curved purpli,-,h band, and within this again 

 is a smaller one of a dark purple or violet colour. In tlie centre of this last band and the 

 middle of the wiug is a large round blue spot, with a whitish centre and a broad border, almost 

 black. It is from these prominent eye-spots that the moth derives its name, in allusion to 



<K 



J 



