OAK-EGGAR. 225 



The well-known OAK-EGGAR MOTH (Bombyx or 

 Lasiocampa querciis] belongs to another family, the 

 Bombycidae, in which the caterpillars are mostly hairy, 

 the pupa smooth, and the perfect insect large and 

 stout-bodied, and coloured with various shades of 

 brown or grey. The smooth pupa at once distinguishes 

 this insect from the last. 



Although the colours of this insect are not brilliant, 

 the Moth is a very handsome one, the simple colouring 

 of its wings being well contrasted. The male has the 

 wings rich warm chestnut, and across each of them is 

 drawn a slightly waved yellowish band. Rather to- 

 wards the base of the disc there is a white spot very 

 clearly marked. His antennae are deeply and doubly 

 feathered. The female is much larger, but not nearly 

 so handsome, the colour being mostly yellow, with the 

 band pale and undefined. 



The chief interest of this moth lies in its prepara- 

 tory stages. The caterpillar is a very fine one, and 

 remarkable for its change in appearance when it bends 

 its body. The ground colour of this larva is deep 

 velvety-black, very thickly covered with rich brown 

 hairs. When the caterpillar is straight it appears to be 

 uniformly brown, but when it curves the body, the 

 velvet-black appears between the segments and gives 

 a very bold and effective appearance to the hitherto 

 plain caterpillar. There are other marks, but these 

 velvet rings are amply sufficient for identification. 



It is very plentiful in some places, and though it is 

 a very general feeder, eating almost every non-poison- 

 ous herb or leaf that may be given to it, the larva has 

 fancies of its own and prefers one place to another, 



Q 



