LEPIDOPTERA. 331 



preceding, from which it differs in having the stripe and band 

 on its fore wings of a brighter pnrple-brown color, the round 

 and kidney-shaped spots contiguous to the former also brown, 

 the olive-colored edging of the band wavy, with a powdered 

 blue spot between it and the triangular olive-colored spot on 

 the inner margin, and a distinct brown spot on the inner hind 

 angle of the posterior wings ; all the wings beneath are broadly 

 bordered behind with light brown, and the spots upon them are 

 also light brown. It expands from one inch and three eighths 

 to one inch and a half. This species has been taken in Mas- 

 sachusetts, but it is rare, and the caterpillar is unknown to me. 

 In the remarks preceding the description of Notodonta con- 

 cinna, mention was made of two kinds of caterpillars, living in 

 great numbers on fruit-trees in the latter part of summer. The 

 second kind are now to be described. They grow to a greater 

 size, are longer in coming to their growth, their swarms are 

 more numerous, and consequently they do much more injury 

 than the red-humped kind. Entire branches of the apple-trees 

 are frequently stripped of their leaves by them, and are loaded 

 with these caterpillars in thickly crowded swarms. The eggs 

 from which they are hatched will be found in patches, of about 

 a hundred together, fastened to the under side of leaves near 

 the ends of the twigs. Some of them begin to be hatched 

 about the twentieth of July, and new broods make their 

 appearance in succession for the space of a month or more. 

 At first they eat only the under side and pulpy part of the 

 leaves, leaving the upper side and veins untouched; but after- 

 wards they consume the whole of the leaves except their stems. 

 These caterpillars are sparingly covered with soft whitish hairs ; 

 the young ones are brown, and striped with white ; but, as they 

 grow older, their colors become darker every time they cast 

 their skins. They come to their full size in about five weeks 

 or a little more, and then measure from an inch and three 

 quarters to two inches and a quarter in extent. The head is 

 large, and of a black color; the body is nearly cylindrical, with 

 a spot on the top of the first ring, and the legs dull orange- 

 yellow, a black stripe along the top of the back, and three of 

 the same color alternating with four yellow stripes on each 



