£ Vacate 

 ■■ larg 



THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 145 



smaller, whiter, and the fourth frequently obsolete; a transverse row 

 of four yellow warts becomes conspicuous on segments 2 and 3; a 

 subdorsal yellowish line appears, starting from segment 8 and running 

 and diminishing posteriorly ; the upper sides become of a dark bluish- 

 gray, while the yellow line along the lower sides becomes more dis- 

 tinct. Six days after the second moult the third moult takes place- 

 with but little change in the appearance of the caterpillar, further 

 than that the different colors become still more bright and distinct 

 and the different tufts still larger. 



Up to this time all the individuals of a brood have been alike, and 

 of a size, so that it was impossible to distinguish the sexes. Six days 

 irom the third moult, however, the males measure not quite f of an 

 inch, and begin to spin their cocoons; while the females undergo 

 a fourth moult about this time, and in about six days more they also 

 spin up, having acquired twice the size of the male when he spun up. 



C !!iJiiiti^^ The annexed Fi g u re 82 rep- 



"^^ resents the full grown female 



^^ :^V^ caterpillar, it differing from the 



grown male only in its 

 ^ger size. At this stage of its 

 existence the caterpillar is a 

 most beautiful object, with its 

 vermillion-red head and collar, 

 its cream-colored brushes and its long black plumes. 



When young these caterpillars make free use of a fine web which 

 they spin, and by which they let themselves down when disturbed, 

 and it is quite amusing to watch them ascend again whenever they 

 have become sufficiently assured that there is no danger. They per- 

 form this feat with the thoracic legs, using those of each side alter- 

 nately, the body and head being thrown from side to side in harmony, 

 very much as a sailor climbs a rope " hand over hand." 



It may puzzle some persons to divine how such a hairy and tufted 

 caterpillar can possibly cast off its skin and yet retain these pretty 

 appendages. After having remained stationary without food for about 

 two days, the old skin becomes dry and somewhat loose. If at this 

 time this old skin be carefully removed, it will be found that an en- 

 tirely new set of these appendages has been forming underneath it; 

 the two long plumes curled over the head, down by the feet and up 

 again to near the scaly collar; the four white brushes folded close 

 together inwardly crossing each other; the anal plume folded below 

 the anus, and all the other hairs laid in thread-like bunches close to 

 the body in a posterior direction. In due time the old skin splits on 

 the back, near the head, and the caterpillar gradually works it off pos- 

 teriorly. The moment they are exposed the appendages which had 

 been compressed, as described, to the body, commence to straighten 

 IOrse 



