Silk- Worms and Giant Night-Butterflies 85 



are not very handsome creatures, or has suggested 

 that the ladies are afraid of them, he must take it 

 all back because his attention has been called to 

 the fact that two splendid women, keen observing 

 naturalists, Ida Mitchell Eliot and Caroline Gray 

 Soule, both declare that 

 the Polyphemus baby is 

 very pretty indeed, and 

 that caterpillars with 

 lustrous red warts are es- 

 pecially clean looking and 

 attractive. That is fine! 

 Attractive caterpillars I 

 Well, this shows that it is 

 unfair to lump the ladies 

 all in one bunch. The 

 writer humbly apologizes 

 for making fun of either 

 the women or the cater- Pob-phemua cocoons. 



pillars and owns up that both are beautiful. 



The Polyi)hemus caterpillar feeds on the leaves 

 of the plum, elm, apple, maple, basswood, butter- 

 nut and oak trees. The cocoon (Fig. 77) is made 

 of one silken thread and it is not difficult to unwind 

 it. The cell is " oval cylindrical " and covered with 



