270 NATURE-STUDY REVIEW 15:7— [Oct., 1919 



caterpiillar appears in its last stage. It is now over two inches 

 long, quite smooth and prosperous looking. Its color is a beautiful 

 light, greenish-blue, and its head is yellow. It has six rows of 

 short, round black tubercles. The foiir large tubercles at the 

 front end of the body are red, and the large tubercle oa the rear 

 end of the body is yellow. 



The cocoon. — During the winter, leaves may often be seen 

 hanging straight down from the branches of wild cherry, lilac and 

 ash. If these leaves are examined each one will be foand to be 



Promethea moth, female. 



wrapped around a silken case containing a pupa of the promethea. 

 It is certainly a canny insect which hides itself during the winter 

 in so good a disguise, that only the very wisest of birds ever 

 suspect its presence. When the promethea caterpillar begins to 

 spin, it selects a leaf and covers the upper side with silk, then it 

 covers the petiole with silk fastening it with a strong band to 

 the twig, so that not even the most violent winter winds will 

 be able to tear it off. Then i^ draws the two edges of the leaf 

 about itself like a cloak as far as it will reach, and inside this 

 folded leaf it makes its cocoon, which always has an opening in 

 the shape of a conical valve at the upper end, through which the 

 moth may emerge in the spring. This caterpillar knows more 



