222 Capt. Thomas Hutton’s Account 
a lucky chance, on the 30th of June, I discovered a single cater- 
pillar in the forest feeding on a tree known to the natives as the 
** Munsooree.”’ 
Branches of this tree were now substituted for the oak, and from 
thenceforward the caterpillars ate greedily, and increased rapidly 
in size. 
The first moult commenced when six days old, and this occupied 
three days, so that at the end of nine days the caterpillar appeared 
in its second stage. The black transverse band upon the body had 
disappeared, but the head still remained of that colour, and the 
rest of the body was hairy and rufous ; the tubercles being black 
on the summit, and more prominent; prolegs brown. 
The period between each change was about ten days in some 
specimens, but varied in others between that and shorter periods, 
probably depending in a great measure upon the quantity of nou- 
rishment obtained from the branches with which they were daily 
supplied. 
In the third stage the caterpillar appeared of a bright rufous 
colour; the black dots or tubercles being larger and more promi- 
nent, but there were no black bands. 
In the fourth stage the change was still more remarkable, for 
the caterpillar now appeared of a beautiful pale apple green, each 
tubercle headed with bright orange, except the four which spring 
from the second and third segments, which are ringed with black, 
and crowned with pale yellow; and the anal and two posterior 
tubercles, which are green throughout. From each tubercle 
springs a small tuft of hair, the centre one of each being longer 
than the others; the head and prolegs brown; along each side is 
a line which is red above and yellow below, and the spiracles are 
red ; there is a line of very small yellow dots along each side, be- 
tween the rows of tubercles. 
In the fifth stage the colours are the same, as are they also in 
the sixth and seventh stages, but the caterpillar increases rapidly 
in size, and is most beautiful and delicate in appearance, with a 
semi-transparency of hue, which makes it look something like wax 
work. 
One of these commenced spinning its cocoon on the 17th of 
July, being then about forty-six or forty-seven days old; and the 
remainder after the interval of a day or two, that is, on the 19th, 
20th, and 25th July, spun up also. 
The cocoon is formed of coarse brown silken threads, closely 
interwoven, and of an ovate form; it is inclosed among the leaves 
of the tree, which are in fact glued closely round it. It is hard, 
