140 :\ii:.M()ii;s of tiik national academy of sciences. 



Tlie larva of 1. alboHigma is closely alli('<l in shape and in the two dorsal abdominal dark 

 tubercles to the European I.'reelimt, excejit that the tubercles in the American species are nnu'h 

 larger and more prominent. 



Fitch states that the ''white stripes alonu each side form dixcrs shaped rings an<.l letter like' 

 marks. The stripes upon the back are intci rnptcd upon the two humped segments.'' 



Cocoon. — "Formed of yellowish gray silk, loosely w(»vcn and attached to the umlerside of a 

 leaf." (Fitch, p. 27.-).) 



Food plunt. — Species of Populns, the aspen, etc.; i)oplar and willow (Beutenmiiller). 



Gcofirnphical distrihutioti. — This tine species extends througliont the Appalachian into the 

 Canii)estrian subprovinee as far as the Kocky .Afountains, in this region, however, varying from 

 the type in being "much paler."' Orono, Me.; Andierst, Mass. (Mrs. Feruald, Kiley, U. S. Nat. 

 Mas.); Maine (Mas. Comp. Zool.); Massachusetts, July 15 (Sanborn); I'rovidence, R. I. (J. 

 Bridgham); New York (Fitch); IMattsburg', N. Y. (Hudson); Ohio, July (Kiley); Seattle, Wash, 

 (coll. of Professor Johnson, tide Dyar); Portland, Oreg. (Dyar); Canada, Maine, Newton, Mass.; 

 New Y'ork, Wisconsin, Tiffin, Ohio (French); var. xpcvitica, Manitou, Colo. (l>yar, French). 



Habits. — Fitch, who has carefully observed the habits of this species, states that the 

 caterpillar attains its full size about the middle of July. 



Several of the catei'iiillars roimiionly live together upon :i iiiirticuho' limb, which tliey strip of its leaves, 

 eatiug all the leaf except its meiliau ami portions of the otlier course veins. They construct a kind of nest by 

 drawing two or more leaves togethi'r with tlie sillien tlireads wliich tlicy spin from their mouths, forming a hollow, 

 ball-IiUe cavity witliin. in which they rcjiose wlien not engaged in feeding. Three of these caterpillars which I 

 transferred with their nests to a feciling cage on the 14th of .July all s[)un their cocoon within the nest a day or two 

 afterward. Tlie moths all came out on the 25th of July, tlius remaining in their puiia state hut a little over a week. 

 The moth crawls from its cocoon, and, with its fore feet clinging to a twig, hangs perpendicularly downward, 

 swinging -with the breezes until its wings become dry and stilf. It then discharges one or more drops of an opaijue 

 birch-red fluid and takes to flight. (Fitch.) 



Subfamily V. NoTODONTiNiE. 



Motli. — Head moderately large, but not prominent; £ antenna' often feebly pectinated to the 

 tips, often with short stout branches ciliated at the tips; in the 9 either ciliated or simple 

 (Symmerista). Palpi moderately long, reaching to the front of the head, or unusually long 

 (Synunerista). Thorax either smooth or with a high tuft. Fore wings usually broad, with the 

 costa often convex and the apex well rounded; internal edge with a tuft in the more tyi)ical 

 genera; costal region usually rather wide or sometimes narrower (Pheosia). Subcostal cell cither 

 absent or present. Abdomen full, not fo^k(^d at the end in the <? . 



JJf/fl, — Low licmispheiical; shell finely i)ittcd with polygonal areas. 



Larva. — The body cither smooth, subnoctuiform, with no nuirkings except a lateral line 

 (Nadata and Lophodonta), or humped either on the eighth abdominal (Pheosia, Dasylophia, 

 Symmerista) or on second and third or on .several {-i-'t) of the abdominal segments (Notodonta), 

 or on abdondnal segnumts 1-S (Nerice); the dcu'sal humps in I'heosia bearing a horn in the 

 American species. All except Nadata and Lophodonta gaily banded, spotted, or otherwise 

 cons))icuously colored and marked, with bright longitudinal stripes. 



Cocoon. — Either thin and slight or the larva enters the ground to pupate; in IMieosia a 

 subterranean earthen cell lined with silk. 



2>i(l>a. — Body somewhat elongated; head not pronunent; crennister either obsolete, without 

 spines (Lophodonta), or ending in a broad spinulated stout i)l;ite or ending in two stout .spines 

 (Symmerista), or arnu'd with four spines (Nadata); or the spine is very long, slender, cylindrical, 

 and ending in two hooks (Nerice), no subfamily |)Ui)al characters being i)rcscnt. 



SYNOPSIS OF rilK ia;XKI!A OF N(jr01)0XTlX.E. 



Avery higli tlioracie tuff; palpi large; species yellow ocherous, with two twin silvery white discal sjiots; outer 



edge of wings scalloiicil Xadala 



Fore wings with a tuft on the inner edge; palpi large; antenna' with slightly larger branches than in Notodonta. 



Lophodonta 



