384 LEPIDOPTEKA. 



the same yellow color ; on each of the rings are about six 

 minute pearl-colored warts, tinged with piu'ple or rose-red, 

 and furnishing a few little hairs ; and at the extremity of the 

 body are three brown spots, edged above with yellow. When 

 this insect is at rest it is nearly as thick as a man's thumb, 

 its rings are hunched, and its body is shortened, not measur- 

 ing, even when fully grown, above two inches in length ; 

 but, in motion, it extends to the length of three inches or 

 more. When about to make its cocoon, it draws together, 

 with silken threads, two or three leaves of the tree, and 



within the hollow thus formed 

 ^'°' ■ spins an oval and very close 



and strong cocoon (Fig. 180), 

 about one inch and three quarters 

 long, and immediately afterwards 

 changes to a chrysalis. The co- 

 coons fall from the trees in the 

 autumn with the leaves in which 

 they are enveloped ; and the moths make their escape from 

 them in June. 



A caterpillar, closely resembling that of the Luna moth, 

 mav be found on oaks, and sometimes also on elm and lime 

 trees, in August and September. Its sides are not striped 

 with yellow, and there are no transverse yellow bands on the 

 back ; the warts have a pearly lustre, more or less tinted 

 with orano-e, rose-red, or purple, and between the two lower- 

 most on the side of each ring is an oblique white line ; the 

 head and the feet are brown ; and the tail is bordered by a 

 brown V-shaped line. These caterpillars, in repose, cling 

 to the twigs of the trees, with their backs downwards, 

 contract their bodies in length, and hunch up the rings even 

 more than those of the Luna moth, whicli, when fidly grown, 

 they somewhat exceed in size. They make their cocoons 

 upon the trees in the same manner, with an outer covering 

 of leaves, which fall off in the autumn, bearing the enclosed 

 tou<di oval cocoons to the ground, where they remain through 



