254 TOBACCO LEAF. 



little finger. It has a dark, green color, with a sharp, 

 pointed spikelet upon its tail resembling the sting of a 

 bee. This is often called a "horn," hence the name 

 horn worm. Oblique, whitish, dotted stripes point 

 downward and backward, and ornament its sides. It 

 has twelve segments or rings ; six true legs, coming out 

 from the second, third and fourth rings, and four 

 double, fleshy suction protuberances from the seventh, 

 eighth, ninth and tenth segments, with a prop leg on 

 the twelfth. The fifth, sixth and eleventh segments 

 have no legs. When touched, the worm manifests its 

 irritability by throwing its head from side to side, eject- 

 ing from its mouth a stream of masticated tobacco, and 

 chafing its mandibles, emitting a sound like the chatter- 

 ing of teeth. Though threatening in appearance, it is 

 perfectly harmless, and can be handled with impunity. 



This moth rarely makes its appearance in the day 

 until about sunset, when it may be seen with its long 

 tongue probing the deep corollas of the petunia, evening 

 primrose, and of the jimson or Jamestown, weed, at 

 which time it is easily caught. This moth (Fig. 68) 

 measures across the wings from four to five inches, has 

 a gray color, variegated with wavy black lines across the 

 wings, and fine orange colored spots on each side of the 

 abdomen. The tongue is five or six inches long, and 

 when not in use is coiled up spirally, like a watch 

 spring. Its first appearance is about the middle of May. 

 From this time, the number increases until the last of 

 August. From their large size, the manner of their 

 flight and method of feeding, they are often mistaken 

 for humming birds and are called "Humming bird 

 moths" and "Horn flowers." 



The eggs, about the size of a mustard seed, and of a 

 pea-green color, are deposited both upon the upper and 

 under surface of the tobacco leaf, being kept in place by 

 a viscid fluid resembling glue. The moth, in depositing 



