DOItYCAMPA REGALIS. 163 



When the caterpillar raise9 its head, and draws 

 the anterior segments together, as it is in the habit of 

 doingwhen disturbed, it has averyformidable appear- 

 ance, the spines forming a kind of crest over its head. 

 At the same time it shakes its bead from side to 

 side as if preparing to make an attack on its as- 

 sailant. By the natives of Virginia it is called the 

 Hickory Horned Devil, and Abbot states that they 

 are so afraid of it that he never saw one who would 

 venture to handle it, people in general dreading it 

 as much as a rattle-snake. " Nevertheless," he adds, 

 " it is perfectly harmless, neither stinging by its 

 horns nor any other part. When I have handled 

 this animal in the presence of the negroes, to con- 

 vince them it was innocent, they would reply that 

 it could not sting me, but would them." 



When the caterpillar changes its last skin, the 

 horns fall off along with it. It feeds on Persim- 

 mon (Diospyros Virginiana, Linn.), walnut, hic- 

 kory, and sumach. Abbot found one to enter the 

 ground on the 16th June, and the fly came out on 

 the 27th July; another on the 5th August, and 

 remained in the chrysalis till May 9th. The chry- 

 salis is comparatively short and thick, with a small 

 mucro at the tail, and the edges of the segments 

 without spinulae; in these respects differing much 

 from the chrysalis of C. invperialis, which is rather 

 narrow and elongated, the tail of considerable length 

 and bind at the extremity, and the edges of the 

 segments armed with a regular series of spines. 



