BIRCH CATERPILLARS. 487 



is stated to feed on ^ild cherry. Morris (Synop. Lepid. N. A., 1862, p. 2) describes 

 larva and imago, giving for food-plaut "various species of Prunus." Saunders (Can. 

 Entom., Feb., 1869, v. 1, p. 53,54) describes egg and young larva, and later (oj>. cit., 

 Apr., 1869, V. i, p. 74) describes adult larva. Scudder (Amer. Nat., Aug., 1869, v. 3, 

 p. .330) gives as food-plants: apple, Cratwgus, Prunus virginiana, cultivated cherry, 

 Alnus, Liriodendron tuUpifera, Fraxinus samhucifoUa, Betula, Tilia, and Quercus, and 

 later (Can. Entom., May, 1872, v. 4, p. 84), on authority of Abbot, gives Fraxinus 

 trifoliata and F. ^platycarpa. Saunders (Can. Entom., Jan., 1874, v. 6, p. 2-5) describes 

 and figures larva and imago, and {op. cit., Nov., 1883, v. 15, p. 204) adds Magnolia 

 acumiv.ata to the recorded food-plants. Gruber (Papilio, May, 1884, v. 4, p. 86,87) 

 gives notes on the five stages of the larva. 



Larva. — Body very thick, soft, smooth, cylindrical, thickest on the first abdominal 

 segment, thence tapering rapidly towards the end. On the metathoracic segment 

 two large subdorsal eye-like spots in the middle of the segment, formed of a yellow 

 ring edged externally with black, with a black center containing a blue streak. Pos- 

 terior edge of the fourth segment yellow, with a narrow black streak behind. Pro- 

 thoracic segment scarcely wider than the head, with the front edge straw-yellow. 

 Head lilac rust-red. All the feet pale green. Body rich velvety pea-green, whitish 

 green on the under side. Length, 38™™. 



The butterfly. — Yellow, with a broad black edge containing a row of yellow spots ; 

 forewiugs with four short black bands reaching in from the costal edge ; the hind 

 wings with long tails and with an orange-red spot near their hind angle. Expanse 

 of wings, 4^ to 5 inches. 



12. Ceratomia amyntor Hiibner. 



Already described under the head of elm insects, the only tree upon 

 which we have found this insect in the caterpillar stage. I append the 

 following notes by Mrs. Dim mock, who has found it oftener on the white 

 birch than the elm: 



Ceratomia amyntor Hiibn. (Samml. Exot. Schmett., 1806-1824, v. 2, Lepid. 2, Sph. 

 3, leg. 4, mand. B, pond. 4) [= C. quadricornis Hari". (Amer. Journ. Sci. and Arts, July, 

 1839, [s. I], V. 36, p. 293)]. Harris {I. c.) describes the larva and imago ; the same 

 author (Rept. Ins. Injur. Veg., 1841, p. 227, 228) briefly describes the larva and imago, 

 and later (Treatise on ins. injur, veg., 1862, p. 323,324) adds a figure of the larva and 

 imago; still later (Entom. Corresp., 1869, p. 282) he briefly describes the egg, young 

 larva, and pupa. Morris (Synop. Lepid. N. A. 1862, p. 205,206) describes larva, pupa, 

 and imago. Lintner (Proc. Entom. Soc. Phil., Dec, 1862, v. 1, p. 286-293) gives an 

 excellent description of the egg, the five stages of the larva, and the pupa. Minot 

 (Can. Entom., Nov., 1869, v. 2, p. 28) describes the egg and the young larva; he states 

 that the larva molts six times. Andrews (Can. Entom., Feb., 1876, v. 8, p. 40) and 

 Bunker {op. cit., June, 1876, v. 8, p. 120) discuss the brown form of the larva. The 

 before-mentioned authors give only Ulmus as food-plant; Goodell (Psyche, July 

 [Dec], 1832, v. 3, p. 368) gives Ulmus and Betula alba as food-plants. Taken in Cam- 

 bridge, Mass., oftener on Betula alba than on Ulmus. (Psyche, iv, 281,282.) 



13. Smerinthus excacatus Abb. and Smith.* 



Although I have more commonly found this caterpillar on the willow, 

 and sometimes on the poplar and birch, Mrs. Dimmock says it is not 



* I subjoin the description of a Smerinthus larva, perhaps of this species, feeding 

 on the leaves late in September and during the first week in October, which began to 

 pupate October 3, at Providence. 



Larva. — Head rather large, triangular in front, the vertex ending in two minute 

 rounded tubercles, and with a paler green line on the side of the head. Labrum 



