LEPIDOPTERA. 285 



plish red next to the body, and near the hinder margin there is a 

 narrow curved band of the same color ; within this band there is 

 a curved black line, and on the middle of the wing a large round 

 blue spot, having a broad black border and a central white dash. 

 The fore-wings of the female are purple-brown, mingled with 

 gray ; the zigzag and wavy lines across them are gray, and the 

 lettered space in the middle is replaced by a brown spot sur- 

 rounded by an irregular gray line ; the hind-wings resemble those 

 of the male in color and markings ; the thorax and legs are pur- 

 ple-brown ; and the abdomen is ochre-yellow with a narrow pur- 

 ple-red band on the edge of each ring. These moths expand 

 from two inches and three quarters to three inches and a half. 



The other Satumia, inhabiting Massachusetts', is the Maia* of 

 Drury, or Proserpinaf of Fabricius. The moth probably rests 

 with its wings closed, like the lo moth, the fore-wings covering 

 the other pair, the front edge of which seems formed to extend a 

 little beyond that of the fore-wings in this position. The wings 

 are thin and almost transparent like crape ; they are black, and 

 both pairs are crossed by a broad yellow-white band, near the 

 middle of which, on each wing, there is a kidney-shaped black 

 spot having a central yellow-white crescent or curved line on it ; 

 the thorax is covered with black hairs on the top, pale yellow 

 hairs on the forepart, and has two tufts of rust-red hairs behind ; 

 the abdomen is black, with a few yellowish hairs along the sides, 

 and a patch of a rust-red color at the extremity, in the males. 

 The wings expand from two inches and a half to three inches and 

 one eighth. Saturnia Maia seems to be a very rare moth in 

 Massachusetts ; I have never met with it alive, but have seen 

 several specimens which were taken in this State. The time of 

 its appearance here is not known to me with certainty ; but, if I 

 am rightly informed, it has been found in July and the beginning 

 of August, flying by day on the borders of oak woods, or resting 

 on the shrub oaks which cover the sides of some of our high 

 hills. Of the caterpillar I have seen only one specimen, which 



* Maia, in Mythology, was one of the seven daughters of Mas ; they were 

 placed in the heavens after death, and formed the constellation called Pleiades. 

 t Proserpina was the wife of Pluto, thfe god of the infernal regions. 



