296 INSECTS INJURIOUS TO VEGETATION. 



very short hairs, or are crowned with sharp and branching 

 prickles. They live on trees or shrubby plants, the leaves of 

 which they devour; some of them, when young, keep and 

 feed together in swarms, but separate as they become older. 

 When fully gi'own and ready to make their cocoons, some of 

 them draw together a few leaves so as to form a hollow, within 

 which they spin their cocoons ; others fasten their cocoons to 

 the stems or branches of plants often in the most artful and 

 ingenious manner; and a very few transform upon or just 

 under the surface of the ground, where they cover themselves 

 with leaves or grains of earth stuck together with a little 

 gummy matter. The escape of the moth from its cocoon is 

 rendered easy by the fluid which is thrown out and softens 

 the threads. The chrysalis offers no striking peculiarities, 

 being smooth, not hairy, and not provided with transverse 

 notched ridges. This group contains some of the largest 

 insects of the order; moths distinguished by great extent and 

 breadth of wings, thick and woolly bodies, and antennae which 

 are widely feathered on both sides, from one end to the other, 

 in the males at least, and often in both sexes. The tongue 

 and feelers are extremely short and rarely visible. The wings 

 are generally spread out, when at rest, so as to display both 

 pairs, and they are held either horizontally, or more or less 

 elevated above the body ; a very few, however, turn the fore 

 wings back, so as to cover the hind wings and the body in 

 repose. There are no bristles and hooks to keep the fore and 

 hind wings together. In the middle of each wing there is 

 generally a conspicuous spot of a different color from the rest 

 of the surface, often like the eye-spot on peacocks' feathers, 

 sometimes with a transparent space like talc or isinglass in 

 the middle, and sometimes kidney-shaped and opake. These 

 moths commonly fly towards the close of the day, and in the 

 evening twilight. Their eggs are very numerous, amounting 

 to several hundreds from a single individual. 



Although the injuries committed by the caterpillars of the 

 Saturnians, are by no means, very great, the magnitude and 

 beauty of the moths render them very conspicuous and worthy 

 of notice. The largest kinds belong to that division of the 



