FISHERIES, GAME AND FORESTS. 5 



Description. The full grown caterpillar has a coral red head, a pair of long black 

 plumes just over it, a single one at the opposite extremity of the body, four delicate 

 yellowish or white brush-like tufts on its back and just behind them, separated only 

 by a segment, two small, retractile, red elevations. Along the back, except for the 

 tubercles and tufts, there is a broad black band bordered by yellowish subdorsal 

 stripes. Each side is dark gray, except the yellowish tubercles. A black line indi- 

 cates the position of the spiracles or breathing pores, and below this latter line it is 

 yellow, the legs usually being paler (Plate I, figure i). This gives the general 

 appearance of the caterpillar after it has become half or two-thirds grown, and at a 

 time when its depredations begin to be apparent. The recently hatched larva is a 

 pale yellowish or whitish creature with long, irregular hairs. As it feeds, increases in 

 size, and casts its skin (Plate I, figure 5) from time to time, one after another of the 

 characteristics of the full grown larva are assumed. 



When maturity is reached, the larvae spin their thin cocoons in the crevices of the 

 bark (Plate I, figure 4), interweaving their long hairs, and within this shelter transform 

 to yellowish white pupae more or less shaded with dark brown or black (Plate I, 

 figure 7). 



The difference between the sexes in the adult stage is strikingly shown by com- 

 paring in plate i, figure 2, an illustration of the male, with figure 3, a representation 

 of the female. The former is a beautiful moth with large, feathery antennas, tufted 

 legs, and the wings and body delicately marked with several shades of gray and 

 grayish white. On the other hand, the female is a nearly uniform gray, with simple 

 antennas, and but rudimentary wings. 



The eggs are deposited on the empty cocoon under a conspicuous white mass of 

 frothy matter (Plate i, figure 3), which soon hardens and forms a very effective pro- 

 tection. The individual egg is nearly spherical, about 5*5 inch in diameter, white 

 or yellowish white, and with a light brown spot surrounded by a ring of the 

 same color. 



Life History and Habits. The winter is passed in the conspicuous, white, easily 

 removed egg masses, the young emerging about the latter part of May in this latitude. 

 They begin to feed on the more tender lower epidermis ol the leaf and soon devour 

 all but the principal veins. While young, the caterpillars frequently hang by a silken 

 thread and with continued jarring many may drop to the ground. The growth of the 

 caterpillars occupies a month or a little more, pupation occurring the latter part of 

 June and early in July. In Albany most of the larvae had pupated by July 7 in 1898, 

 and some recently deposited egg masses were to be seen at that time. A few 

 individuals spin up earlier than the mass and some do not till numerous egg clusters 

 indicate that most of the insects have already completed the round of life. 



