150 OWLET-MOTHS. 
them are deposited by a single female. The young and dark 
brown caterpillars, with very large heads, bore as soon as 
‘hatched in various directions into the trees, but usually in 
an oblique direction upward or downward, increasing the 
cavity as they grow larger and lining the same with silk as 
they go. Remedies are difficult to provide. If the cater- 
pillars are found in destructive numbers in any one locality 
some valuable trees may be protected by washing the bark 
about the last of June with soft soap to which is added a 
little Paris-green or London-purple, which is apt to prevent 
the moth from depositing eggs upon trees thus protected, 
-and to kill the young larve when they leave the eggs and 
eat their way into the tree. 
FAMILY NOCTUIDE OR OWLET-MOTHS. 
This family of moths is rather uniform, and the species 
are very much alike. The head is distinct, not sunken into 
the thorax, asin the Bombycide; the palpi are stout, pro- 
jecting in front of head, but not more than the length of the 
head; the antenne are filliform, slightly ciliate, or in the 
males of some species slightly pectinate. These moths pos- 
sess a robust body; the thorax has more or less prominent 
shoulder-tufts, frequently very distinct dorsal tufts, and 
usually prominent transverse tufts on the prothorax. The 
abdomen is frequently ornamented with dorsal tufts, and 
the males possess more or less prominent anal tufts. The 
fore-wings are comparatively small, narrow, and crossed by 
a series of more or less marked crenutated or wavy lines, 
and with two usually darker and two paler spots in the 
discal part of the wing. The one nearest the base of the 
wing is called the orbicular; the other and larger one, us- 
ually kidney-shaped, is called the reniform spot. The hind- 
wings are broader, usually without markings; when at rest 
they are folded and concealed by the fore-wings, which lie 
like a flat roof over the back. The name ‘‘Owlet-moths’’ 1s 
