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 Encyrtus, 

 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 POLYPHEMUS MOTH (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 Attacus. 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- 

 tennae of the males are very broadly pectinated ; of the 

 females, lightly feathered. The combinations of form, 

 color, and markings make them very beautiful. 



