164 NORTH AMERICAN INSECTS. 



feet, and tail, which are yellow. Upon its body are often 

 seen several small wart-like eminences, some of a coral red, 

 others of a dark blue color. 



A larva of this kind, before making its cocoon, glues a 

 leaf to the twig on which it rests, in order that it may not 

 fall to the ground in autumn, and in order to use it as a 

 cover to its cocoon, which is only about one inch long, of 

 an oval form, and contains good strong silk, though not as 

 much as the others, of this genus of Attaci. These cocoons 

 may easily be collected every autumn or winter upon the 

 twigs of the sassafras-tree, when all the leaves have fallen 

 off except those upon which these insects have fastened. 



The above moths are the four species of native insects 

 from the cocoons of which durable and strong silk stuffs 

 may be fabricated ; viz, : 



The Cecropia, found upon apple, cherry, or plum trees ; 

 " Polypheme, " " oak, elm, or lime trees; 

 " Luna, " " walnut or hickory trees ; 



" Promethea, " " sassafras-trees. 



These nocturnal beauties are probably the most useful of all 

 of their order to man, and, not being to any extent injurious 

 to vegetation, their abundance in any country should be con- 

 sidered as one of the resources of wealth and luxury. But 

 we pass to others, if not as useful, yet quite as beautiful.* 



The Beautiful De'iape"a (Deiopci'a bella). 



This little creature, although classed among the noctur- 

 nal lepidoptera, on account of her bristle-formed antennas, is, 



* My friend, Mr. John Akhurst, the distinguished taxidermist of 

 Brooklyn, raises with the greatest facility at his house, from the eggs, 

 many hundreds of these useful moths, and shows, by doing so, the 

 practicability of making in this country from our native insects dur- 

 able silk stuffs, which could form a new and extensive branch of 

 American industry and commerce. He feeds the caterpillar of Cc- 

 cropia, Luna, Polypheme, and Promethea on the leaves of the sweet 

 gum-tree (Liquidambar siyrauflua). 



