82 LEPIDOPTERA. 



more usually, subterranean, in a cocoon of soft silk and earth ; 

 occasionally without any cocoon. 



With this family, the last of the Bombycina, we leave the 

 comparatively heterogeneous forms having wings of all 

 manner of breadths, and settle down to a series of genera of 

 which the fore wings and other details of structure show a 

 considerable approximation to the characters of the next 

 great group, the Noctuina. But in habits and general struc- 

 ture they seem most emphatically to belong to the present 

 (the Bombycina) group, to which they are usually assigned. 

 This relationship in habits especially shows itself in their 

 extreme sluggishness during the hours of rest, usually con- 

 trasted with great activity and even violence when aroused 

 by darkness ; the ease with which they may in most instances 

 be paired, and induced to deposit their eggs ; and their 

 absolute indifference to the attraction of flowers, or food of 

 any kind, in the imago state. But even in the daytime 

 artificial darkness effectually rouses them, and the conse- 

 quence of shutting up an insect of this group, a male 

 especially, alive in a pill-box or chip-box, when captured, is, 

 as the young collector soon discovers, that the creature beats 

 its wings to fragments, and is totally spoiled. 



Genus 1. CERURA. 



Antennae pectinated in both sexes with separate teeth, 

 which are ciliated with minute hairs. The tips of the pecti- 

 nations curled toward each other iu the males, and the 

 antennae themselves usually curled when dry ; tongue short 

 and flat ; body stout, softly downy beneath ; fore wings 

 rather narrowly ovate, thinly covered with scales ; hind 

 wings very short. First pair of legs with a compressed lobe 

 upon the tibise. 



LARViE glossy, grotesque naked, head flattened, anal pro- 

 legs absent ; anal segment having two long points projecting 



