INSECT ENEMIES. 119 
I have found the dry earth under the trees all-sufficient, 
if applied before they are ready to go into the ground, 
and the poisons may therefore be avoided. 
A very minute ichneumon fly, a species of Hneyrtus, 
deposits an egg in the egg of the saw-fly; and from this 
tiny egg a maggot is hatched, which lives on the egg of 
the slug-fly, and when it has consumed it, becomes 
a chrysalis, and then a fly. Prof. Peck found that many 
eggs of the second brood were destroyed by ‘‘this atom 
of existence.” The Vireo and Cat-bird eat them from 
the leaves. In dusting tall trees a sieve fastened on 
the end of a pole is a convenient implement. An old 
tin can well punctured with holes is a very cheap sieve 
for the purpose. 
15. THe Potypuemus Motu (Telea Polyphemus, 
Sim; Attacus Polyphemus, Harris). It is called Poly- 
phemus after one of the giants in mythology bearing this 
name. It is one of the largest of the native American 
silk worms, belonging to the genus Aftacus. The wings 
of the female spread fully six inches; those of the 
male a little less. It is of a dull ochre-yellow color, 
clouded with black in the middle of the wings. On each 
of the fore wings, near the center, there is an eye-like 
spot transparent in the center, crossed by light lines, and 
surrounded by rings of white, red, yellow, and black. 
Before the eye-spots of the hind wings are large blue 
spots, shading into black. On the front margin of the 
fore wings there is a gray stripe, which crosses the fore 
part of the thorax, and near the base of these wings are 
two short red lines, edged with white. At their tips are 
also two small dark spots. The hind wings are cut off 
almost square at the corners, and near their margins 
have wavy lines like those on the fore wings. The an- 
tenn of the males are very broadly pectinated ; of the 
females, lightly feathered. The combinations of form, 
color, and markings make them very beautiful. 
