226 MARVELS OF THE ANIMAL WORLD 



thread to the ground and hurry away, probably 

 in search of a suitable spot in which to pass through 

 their metamorphoses. Should they happen to 

 alight, as they often do, upon some lounger below, 

 and find their way to his unprotected skin, they 

 inflict, if molested, a sting as pungent, but far more 

 lasting, than that of a nettle or star -fish.' 



The larvae of the gold-tail-moth is yet another 

 example which possesses irritating hairs, while, 

 moreover, it is also capable of emitting an acrid 

 fluid from glands which open upon the upper part 

 of its body. Then, again, the larvae of the puss- 

 moth, although not clothed in hairs as the above- 

 mentioned species, possesses a gland secreting a 

 highly irritant fluid, embodying as much as forty 

 per cent, of formic acid, and has the power to squirt 

 the same at an enemy with the most painful results 

 should it enter the eyes. Under normal conditions 

 the squirting apparatus, composed of four branches, 

 and pierced with small holes, lies concealed beneath 

 a cleft in the creature's neck ; but when the larvae 

 is annoyed it protrudes that organ and discharges 

 its fluid at the disturber of its peace. Poulton 

 writes in reference to this caterpillar : ' So far 

 as we know at present, no other animal secretes a 

 fluid containing anything which approaches this 

 percentage of strong acid. ... I have seen a 

 marmoset and a lizard affected by it, and have 

 myself twice experienced sharp pain as the result 

 of receiving a very small quantity in the eye.' 



By the foregoing remarks it will be noted that 

 quite a number of different types of animals rely 



