INSECTS. 109 



leaves, and not unfrequently despoiling our rose-bushes and thorn- 

 hedges also. These caterpillars are of two kinds, very different in 

 appearance, but alike in habits and destructive propensities. The 

 first of these may be called the red-humped, a name that will pro- 

 bably bring these insects to the remembrance of those persons who 

 have ever observed them. Different broods make their appearance 

 at various times during August and September. The eggs, from 

 which they proceed, are laid, in the course of the month of July, 

 in clusters on the under-side of a leaf, generally near the end of a 

 branch. When first hatched they eat only the substance of the 

 under-side of the leaf, leaving the skin of the upper-side and all the 

 veins untouched ; but as they grow larger and stronger they de- 

 vour whole leaves from the point to the stalk, and go from leaf to 

 leaf down the twigs and branches. The young caterpillars are 

 lighter colored than the old ones, which are yellowish- brown, paler 

 on the sides, and longitudinally striped with slender black lines ; 

 the head is red ; on the top of the fourth ring there is a bunch or 

 hump, also of a red color ; along the back are several short black 

 prickles ; and the hinder extremity tapers somewhat, and is always 

 elevated at an angle with the rest of the body, when the insect is 

 not crawling. The full-grown caterpillars measure one inch and a 

 quarter, or rather more, in length. The rest close together on the 

 twigs, when not eating, and sometimes entirely cover the small 

 twigs and ends of the branches. The early broods come to their 

 growth and leave the trees by the middle of August, and the others 

 between this time and the latter part of September. All the cat- 

 erpillars of the same brood descend at one time, and disappear in 

 the night. They conceal themselves under leaves, or just beneath 

 the surface of the soil, and make their cocoons. They remain a 

 long time in their cocoons before changing to chrysalids, and are 

 transformed to moths towards the end of June or the beginning of 

 July. Mr. Abbot states that in Georgia these insects breed twice 

 a year, the first broods making their cocoons towards the end of 

 May, and appearing in the winged form fifteen days afterwards. 

 This, a Notodonta, is a neat and trim looking moth, and is of a 

 light brown color ; the fore-wings are dark brown along the inner 

 margin, and more or less tinged with gray before ; there is a dark 

 brown dot near the middle, a spot of the same color near each an 

 gle, a very small triangular whitish spot near the shoulders, and 

 several dark brown longitudinal streaks on the outer hind margin ; 

 the hind-wings of the male are brownish or dirty white, with a 



