IXSECTS LEPIDOPTERA DIAGRAM 6 123 



make the silk with, winch they make stuffs prized for their 

 beauty as well as for their durability, for silk is stronger than 

 canvas or linen. 



Bombyeet. The silkworm "belongs to the family of Bornbyces, 

 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 



Grold-tail moth. gregarious, and in some seasons 



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 Noctua, Tinea, Pyrales, and Tortrices, are moths of 

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

 and the larvre of which are very destructive in spite of their 

 small size. Those of the Tinea) 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 



