THE SATURNIANS. 381 



Saturnirtiis (Saturniad^), from Saturnia, tlie name of a 

 genus included in this group. The caterpillars are naked, 

 are generally short, thick, and clumsy, cylindrical, hut fre- 

 quently hunched on the back of each ring, especially when 

 at rest, and are furnished with a few warts, which are either 

 bristled with little points or 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. AVhen fully grown and 

 ready to make their cocoons, some of. them draw together a 

 few leaves so as to form a hollow, within Avhich they spin 

 their cocoons ; others fasten their cocoons to the stems or 

 branches of plants, often in the most artful and ino-enious 

 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 ])rovided Avith 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 Avide^y 

 feathered on both sides, from one end to the other, in the 

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

 ers 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 hind winos 

 together. In the middle of each Aving there is generally a 

 conspicuous spot of a different color from the rest of the 

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

 times Avith a transparent space like talc or isinglass in the 



