SEPTEMBER. 309 



C. A caterpillar of very singular appearance, I shook 

 from a rough-leafed willow. It was about two inches and a 

 quarter long, very soft, the belly flat like that of a leech ; 

 all smooth, except a tuft of white hairs on each segment at 

 the edge of the belly ; the head downy. The colour was 

 light grey, beautifully mottled and chequered with black ; 

 the third segment was separated from the second and from 

 the fourth by bands of bright orange, which appeared only 

 when it crawled ; the whole under surface was mottled with 

 black and tawny. It has since spun a slight cocoon. Per- 

 haps it was a Catocala. But the largest and most beautiful 

 caterpillar that I have yet seen, is one of the great Satur- 

 nice, which I found about a week ago, resting on a Choke 

 cherry bush (Prunus Serotina). It is of a most brilliant 

 light green, nearly transparent ; each segment of the body 

 rising into two roundish humps, each ending in a little bright 

 yellow tubercle, bearing two or three short hairs ; two rows 

 of similar tubercles run down each side, which are joined by 

 a diagonal yellow line on each segment, just behind which 

 are the spiracles, which are scarlet. The head and legs are 

 light brown ; the anus is terminated by a line of purplish 

 brown. It is rather inactive, and slow of motion. Its 

 length, when crawling, is two inches and a half, and its dia- 

 meter about half an inch. 



-F. It is the larva of an exceedingly large and fine moth, 

 (Saturnia Polyphemus). 



LARVA OF SATURNIA POLYPHEMUS. 



