INSECTS. 131 
length. They have 16 feet, of which the three 
anterior pairs (true legs) are pointed, and the 
five remaining pairs (prolegs) stout, blunt, and 
armed with minute hooks for clasping. In 
form they are stout, tapering slightly toward 
the extremities. In appearance they are usu- 
ally dull colored, greasy looking, dingy brown, 
gray or greenish, with some light and dark 
longitudinal lines, and sometimes with oblique 
dashes. They have a large, shining, red or red- 
dish-brown head. The first ring or collar bears 
a darker-colored, shining, horny plate, as does 
also the last one, known as the anal plate. The 
body is never hairy, but the several rings have 
upon each six or eight small, blackish dots or 
» humps, from each of 
which a short hair is 
given out. 
The cut worms do 
a || Ὰ-Ξ most of their feeding at 
ὡς night, during the day 
FIG. 45.—MOTH OF CUT WoRM shown Ξ ᾿ 
in Fig. 44. (After Riley.) being hidden beneath 
stones, sticks and rubbish. Some cut worms 
feed on the parts of the young plant above 
ground and some below. 
The parents of cut worms are moths. These 
deposit their eggs on a plant near by the feed- 
ing ground as a rule, although they are also 
placed on fruit trees. The eggs soon hatch, 
when the young worms drop to the ground 
