HYAL0PH0RA CECROPIA. 133 



mity of the wings brown, appearing as if powdered j 

 a round black spot is placed towards the tip having 

 a light-coloured crescent within it, and there are 

 several blood-coloured stains near it : a white zigzag 

 line, accompanied with a blood-red streak, runs from 

 this black spot to the anterior edge. The hinder 

 wings are similar to the upper, but the white dis- 

 coidal spot is larger, the transverse band broader, 

 and bordered internally with white ; the external 

 margin dull buff-colour, with two faint black lines, 

 and a row of transverse curved spots. All the mark- 

 ings described appear brighter and more distinct on 

 the under side. The hinder wings are bordered 

 along the anterior edges with white, that colour 

 becoming broader as it approaches the shoulders. 



The caterpillar is green, with the head, legs, and 

 numerous projecting points over the body, yellow ; 

 there is also a pair of small blue spots on each seg- 

 ment. It feeds on the wild American plum (Prunus 

 Pensyhanicd) and spins its cocoon on a branch. 

 The cocoon is larger than a pigeon s egg, of a yellow- 

 ish-brown colour, the outer layer of silk rather coarse, 

 the interior of finer texture. We are not aware that 

 this silk has ever been unwound, but it has been 

 carded, spun, and made into stockings, and Abbot 

 states that it will wash like linen. The insect is 

 rather plentiful in the neighbourhood of New York, 

 but scarce in Georgia. The caterpillar has occasion- 

 ally been reared by feeding it with the leaves of the 

 apple-tree, but it is at all times difficult to make it 

 flourish in confinement. 



