BOMBYCIDS. 95 
The body is reddish-orange, with yellow spots and lines on the thorax. 
The upper wings are olive streaked with broad reddish lines which 
follow the veins, and a number of large yellow spots are distributed 
over the wings as shown in the illustration. The lower wings are 
reddish-orange, with a few vague olive markings between the veins, 
a large spot and a defused band of yellow near the upper margin, 
which is usually covered with the upper wings. I have taken this 
fine moth about the electric ights in Washington, D. C., where it is 
not rare, have found specimens in I1linois and Arkansas, and have no 
doubt but that it inhabits all the Southern and Western States as 
far west as Kansas; but it must be considered a rare insect in north- 
ern New England. 
An insect very closely allied to this I have seen in collections 
from Mexico, also from Colombia and Brazil, South America. 
A friend living in Norwich, Conn., has succeeded in finding the 
larva of this moth there for several consecutive years, feeding on the 
leaves of the sumac, and has reared the perfect insects, of which he 
has sent me specimens. 
The caterpillar is one of our largest, if not the very largest, 
being four or five inches in length, thick in proportion and very for- 
midable in appearance, owing to a number of large curved spines 
with which it is armed on the forward part of the body. It is green 
in color, banded across the rings with blue. The head, legs, and 
large spines near the head are orange and the shorter spines black. 
Although a formidable-looking creature, it is perfectly harmless. 
When ready to pupate in September, the insect burrows into the 
ground, where it transforms into a stout brown chrysalis. This chrys- 
alis works its way to the surface of the ground the latter part of 
the following June, and the fly emerging crawls to a neighboring 
bush, and there hangs suspended until its wings have developed and 
are rigid enough to support it in flight. It is a sluggish insect, and 
when found may be carried home on the twig to which it is attached 
without danger of its taking flight. 
Eacles imperialis resembles the preceding, both in the larval and 
perfect state. Although not differing greatly in size, the males 
being slightly smaller than their mates, there is a marked difference 
in the coloring of the sexes. The ground color of both male and 
female is a rich yellowish-buff. In the male the forward wings are 
brownish-purple on the inner half, connected with a broad band of 
the same color extending along the outer margin. The lower wings 
