ATTACU8 PROMETHEA 239 



On the forty- tin I'd day the largest caterpillars mea- 

 sured nearly three inches and were very plump. They 

 began spinning their cocoons after six o'clock at night 

 and were covered from sight the next morning. 



Their cocoons were redder than those which had 

 borne exposure to sun and rain, and when first made 

 were nearly white. 



The caterpillars were not lively after the second 

 molt, but rested much of the time with their heads 

 laid face down on the leaves, out of sight, as in the 

 illustration. They are easy to rear, for they will eat 

 apple, pear, plum, willow, cherry, lilac, ash, sassafras, 

 tulip-tree, sweet-gum, viburnum, poplar, and various 

 other leaves. 



PrometJiea cocoons are considered safe from birds 

 because they dangle so that a bird has little chance to 

 peck holes in them, but we have found many torn 

 open and with only the larva-skins left in them, show- 

 ing that birds had eaten the pupae. Promethea is very 

 subject to parasites, but the caterpillars reared indoors 

 from the Qgg are free from disease, and we have reared 

 broods without losing one larva. 



The moths are very easy to mate, for they fly at any 

 time after two in the afternoon, and a caged female 

 out of doors or in a window — unless the wind blows 

 into the window — will draw so many males that they 

 can be caught in the fingers as they fly or crawl about 

 the cage. We have often drawn forty at a time, 

 and once had all the neighbors' (-ats trying to catch 

 the low-flying moths, until two dogs chased away the 

 cats, leaving the moths to flutter in peace. 



One afternoon we tied a moth out of the window, 

 and turned away for a few moments to attend to 



