BOMBYCTDyE. " 15 



two black spots ; second segment brown or grey, with two 

 large angular black spots ; dorsal portion of the remainder 

 of the body red-brown, forming a broad dorsal stripe crossed 

 by dark grey lines, and divided lengthwise by a slender 

 white dorsal line edged with black on each side ; below the 

 broad red stripe is a slender brown or grey stripe, from which 

 to the spiracles the whole lateral space is occupied by a 

 broad blue stripe, edged just below the spiracles by a red- 

 brown line. All these longitudinal stripes are separated by 

 black lines. Whole upper surface densely covered with 

 short soft yellowish hairs, those along the spiracular region 

 rather longer. Under surface and all the legs blue-grey. 



April to June, on blackthorn, hawthorn, oak, birch, willow, 

 poplar, elm, maple, and especially on fruit trees. In 

 suburban gardens it shows a strong preference for almond, 

 and is not unfrequently found upon common laurel. The 

 eggs are laid in July or August round a twig of the food- 

 plant, placed closely together, regularly, ring after ring, and 

 so firmly cemented that the whole may be slipped off the 

 twig when it is dry and shrunken, and thus appear as a com- 

 pact cylinder. They are not covered with the down of the 

 female — ^she being deficient in that material — but remain on 

 the trees through the winter, hatching in April. The young 

 larvae at once construct a silken covering, in which they live 

 gregariously until well grown, and upon which they cast 

 their skins ; but if necessary they leave the original habita- 

 tion and construct another, and others successively, on the 

 tree, so as to secure plenty of food at hand. In fine weather, 

 when shelter is unnecessary, they rest on the bark of a 

 branch, crowding together in scores or hundreds, and cover- 

 ing a large space. When near full growth the nest is 

 abandoned, and the larvae seem to scatter as far from each 

 other as possible, and sometimes travel rapidly considerable 

 distances. 



Pupa thick, tapering rapidly behind into a blunt point ; 



