THE ATTACUS CECROPIA. 385 



the winter, and the moths come out in the month of June 

 following. Notwithstanding the great similarity of the cater- 

 pillar and its cocoon to those of the Luna, the moth is en- 

 tirely different. Its hind wings are not tailed, but are cut 

 off almost square at the corners. It is of a dull ochre-yel- 

 low color, more or less clouded with black in the middle of 

 the wings, on each of which there is a transparent eye-like 

 spot, divided transversely by a slender line, and encircled 

 by yellow and black rings ; before and adjoining to the eye- 

 spot of the hind wings is a large blue spot shading into 

 black ; near the hinder margin of the wings is a dusky band, 

 edged with reddish white behind ; on the front margin of the 

 fore wings is a gray stripe, which also crosses the fore part 

 of the thorax ; and near the base of the same wings are two 

 short red lines, edged with white. It expands from five and 

 a quarter to six inches. This moth, on account of its great 

 size, is called Polyphemus (Fig. 181), the name of one of 

 the giants in mythology. 



Attacus Cecropia* (Fig. 182) is a still larger insect, ex- 

 panding from five inches and three quarters to six inches and 

 a half. The hind wings are rounded, and not tailed. The 

 ground-color of the wings is a grizzled dusky brown, with 

 the hinder margins clay-colored ; near the middle of each of 

 the wings there is an opaque kidney-shaped dull, red spot, 

 having a white centre and a narrow black edging ; and be- 

 yond the spot a wavy dull red band, bordered internally 

 with white ; the fore wings, next to the shoulders, are dull 

 red, with a curved white band ; and near the tips of the 

 same is an eye-like black spot, within a bluish-white cres- 

 cent ; the upper side of the body and the legs are dull red ; 

 the fore part of the thorax and the hinder edges of the 

 rings of the abdomen are white ; and the belly is checkered 

 with red and white. This moth makes its appearance dur- 

 ing the month of June. The caterpillar (Fig. 183) is 



* Cecropia was the ancient name of the city of Athens ; its application, by 

 Linnaeus, to this moth is inexplicable. 

 4!) 



