140 NORTH AMERICAN INSECTS. 
woods, elms, sassafras, or poplars, we find upon their leaves 
a number of small pale-green caterpillars, covered with 
clusters of light-green short prickles, and having a brown 
and white longitudinal stripe on both sides of the lower 
ventral part of the body, and extending from the head to 
the abdomen. ‘These caterpillars live together very socia- 
bly during their infancy, but disperse at mature age, and 
travel about through meadows and gardens, where they are 
often found upon the leaves of clover, Indian corn, and 
other grass-like plants, upon which they feed. 
One of these caterpillars is represented in Fig. 26, and 
when full grown is more than two inches long. Its fine 
colors attract many a young person, who soon finds himself 
affected to tears by the sharp pains of its prickles, which 
sting like nettles. 
It is easy to raise these caterpillars, as their food can so 
easily be procured, consisting of elm and poplar leaves, or 
any kind of grass. After having cast their skin four times, 
and when they are about seven or eight weeks old, each 
one looks out for a large leaf on the ground, the margins 
of which it fastens together in an irregular form, then lines 
the inside with gum, in order to make the cocoon stiff and 
impenetrable to the inclemency of the severest weather. In 
this condition the chrysalis remains through the whole win- 
ter and until the following summer, when they awake by 
the spiritual rapping of the warm element, rise from their 
graves clad in an orange and purple dress, and ascend to- 
ward the sky as perfect moths. 
This Nocturnal Lepidoptera received its name after 
Juno, the daughter of Saturn, also called Saturnia, and her 
priestess, Io. 
The Saturnia Jo is represented in Figs. 27 and 28, the 
male with four, and the female with two globular, black 
spots on the wings. The female is the larger, and differs 
in color. 
