INSECTS LEPIDOPTERA DIAGEAM 6. 123 



make the silk, with which they make stuffs prized for their beauty 

 as well as for their durability for silk is stronger than canvas or 

 linen. 



Bombyces. The silkworm belongs to the family of Bombyces, 

 which are mostly injurious animals, because many of them eat the 

 leaves of trees like the silkworm, without producing a valuable 

 substance like silk, which fully compensates for the value of the 

 mulberry leaves. Others feed on grass ; and that of the Emperor 

 moth, one of the largest and handsomest English moths of this 

 family, feeds on heath. The larva is green, with tufts of hair, and 

 transverse rows of pink spots ; and the perfect insect has a large 

 ocellated spot on each wing. ' * '> 



One of the most destructive insects of this family is the 

 Gold-tail Moth, so called from 

 the yellow tuft of down at the 

 end of the abdomen of the 

 female, which she employs to 

 cover her eggs for the purpose 

 of protecting them from the 

 weather. The caterpillars are 

 gregarious, and in some seasons Gold-tail Moth, 



strip the hedges of their leaves. They also form a large web, as 

 a shelter' for the whole community, who retire within it at night. 

 To avoid any injury which might happen to the structure from 

 the growth of the plant within it, they take care to gnaw off 

 all the buds within their habitation, and thus check any such 

 inconvenience. 



The Noctuce, Tinea, Pyrales, and Tortrices, are moths of 

 moderate or small size, which fly only in the evening, or at night, 

 and the larvse of which are very destructive in spite of their small 

 size. Those of the Tineas live on stuffs, and, after having cut 

 some wool from the cloth, they make it into cases which they drag 

 about with them like a dress. The strips of wool are then joined 

 together by an extremely fine silk that these caterpillars spin. 

 As they grow, it is quite necessary for them to enlarge their case, 



