INSECTA. 157 



terior portion of the body a pyramidal elevation. It 

 lives on the oak, beech, willow, and all kinds of fruit 

 trees. The pupa is reddish-brown. 



The Red Ribbon or Crimson Undenting (noctua 

 sponsa), plate 23, fig. 11, is more than two inches long ; 

 upper wings gray, marked with five wavy lines of black 

 and white ; under wings of a beautiful carmine red, en- 

 chased within a border of transverse black stripes. The 

 caterpiller is marked and spotted with yellow, rusty 

 brown, and gray ; lives on the oak ; spins a cell between 

 leaves, and changes into a pupa covered with a gray far- 

 inaceous substance resembling powder. There are rela- 

 tive species, with scarlet underwings and gray caterpillars, 

 found on willows ; some, also, are of a lighter carmine 

 color. 



The Blue Ribbon, Clifden Nonpar id (noctua fraxini), 

 plate 23, fig. 10. About four inches long; body dark 

 gray ; upper wings striped and watered with gray ; lower 

 wings dark brown ornamented in the middle with a blue 

 band resembling a ribbon. The caterpillar is of a pale 

 brown or rather ochre color, marbled with brown, and 

 has a knob on the eighth ring. The pupa, like that of 

 the noctua sponsa, is powdered with gray. This species, 

 which lives on the oak, aspen, beech, and black poplar, 

 is very rare. 



3. SPINNERS. 



The body is hirsute ; the antennae mostly pectinated, 

 and furnished with a proboscis. The larvae have eight 

 pairs, of feet, and, from being clothed with hairs, are 

 often called woolly bears. The metamorphosis is accom- 



