162 LEPIDOPTERA. 



will sometimes make its way into a beehive, and regale 

 itself witli honey : the bees, in some way not understood, 

 tolerating its visits, although they might easily sting it to 

 death. The caterpillar is very large, attaining a length 

 of five or six inches, its colour is yellow, ornamented with 

 blue stripes on the sides ; it feeds on the leaves of the 

 potato, the vine, and the jasmine, and in the month of 

 August, bmTOws into the earth to undergo its pupa 

 change. The perfect insect makes its appearance in the 

 month of September. 



The Nocturnal Lepidoptera always keep their wings 

 when at rest in a horizontal or inclined position ; 

 in this respect they resemble the Crepuscular species, 

 from which, however, they are easily distinguished 

 by the shape of their antennae, which diminish in 

 size from the base to the point, or, in other words, 

 are setaceous. These Lepidoptera, which are some- 

 times called Phalenae, ordinarily fly only at night, 

 or in the evening after sunset. In some species, 

 the females are without wings, or have them very 

 small. Their chrysalids are almost always round or 

 lodged in a cocoon. 



This family is very numerous, and is divided into 

 several tribes ; the most interesting is that of the 

 Boinbyces {Bomhyx)* to which belongs — 



The Silkworm {Bomhyx Mori), 



Its caterpillar has a smooth body, and at its birth is 

 scarcely a line in length, but attains to even more than 

 three inches. In this form the silkworm lives about 

 thirty-four days, and during that period changes its skin 

 four times. It feeds on the leaves of the mulberry ; at 

 the time of moulting it does not eat, but after changing 

 its skin, its aj)petite is doubled. When it is ready to 

 change into a chrysalis, it becomes flaccid and soft, and 

 seeks a proper place where to construct a cocoon, in 

 which it encloses itself: the first day is occupied in at- 

 taching, in an irregidar manner, threads of silk to neigh- 

 bouring objects to suj)port it. The second day it begins 

 to multiply these threads, so as to envelope itself, and on 

 the third day it is completely enclosed in its cocoon. 

 * ^Sfi^v^, bombyx, a silk-worm. 



