EAGLES IMPERIALIS 275 



but they have always transformed perfectly in our 

 tins without any earth, or on a shallow layer of sand 

 if a box happened to have sand in it. 



The pupre are stout, black, and rough with project- 

 ing spines which help the pupa in working its way up 

 to the surface when the moth is to emerge. 



The caterpillars do best, with us, on pine, junipei, 

 and hickory. They are found on spruce, hemlock, 

 maple, oak, birch, cherry, sumac, alder, sycamore, 

 elm, beech, sweet-gum, and sassafras. 



The moths are bright yellow, genuine canary-color, 

 the wings being crossed by lines of the pinkish-purple 

 color which has lately been called "heliotrope," and 

 dotted with the same color. Near the body this helio- 

 trope covers a broad area, or nearly covers it. On 

 each wing is a pale spot encircled by heliotrope. The 

 body is yellow with heliotrope patches, very clumsy 

 and thick. The antennae of the male are pectinate, 

 those of the female scarcely so. The male is smaller 

 than the female. 



There is a variety with the wings so covered with 

 dark dots as to look dark, and a second variety is 

 found in Texas. 



The moth is common everywhere, "especially in 

 city parks," Mr. Beutenmiiller says. 



Piniis rig'idm Is the favorite food of the caterpillars 

 near the Ci'awlery. They fasten their anal props on a 

 stem, crawl up until they can clasp a tuft of needles 

 with their legs, then bend it down and eat off the tips 

 as a child eats a stick of cand}?-. The caterpillars may 

 be found by searching the branches over the great 

 balls of excrement, and the moths can be taken at 

 lights. They fly late. 



