140 Twenty-fourth Report on the State Museum. 



the body without any outward indication of originating in a few 

 isolated points. The larva now presents a remarkable contrast to its 

 former appearance, in features as follows : 



The head is round and white ; the eyes and mandibles are black. 

 The body is white thronghont. The collar has four patches of short 

 slate-colored hairs — the inferior patches round and the superior 

 elongated. On the first segment are eight tufts of slate-colored hairs ; 

 on the second segment are six tufts, of which the four inferior are 

 slate and the two superior, slate mingled with ochreous ; on the third 

 and following segments, exclusive of the terminal, the lower tuft is 

 slate with black basally, the lateral is slate and ochreous, and the 

 dorsal is ochreous ; on the terminal segment the position of the tufts 

 was not ascertained further than that the lower is slate-colored. The 

 slate-colored hairs of the thoracic segments superiorly, and the 

 ochreous ones of the terminal segments, are long and projected over 

 the extremities, and are so fine, as to be readily moved by the breath ; 

 the abdominal hairs are shorter, somewhat coarser, appressed, and 

 meet over the dorsum in a ridge. The stigmata are white, hemi- 

 spherical, with an elongated subcylindrical papilla beneath the anterior 

 one and behind each of the others. Legs five-jointed, bearing upon 

 them several short bristles. The five pairs of prolegs on segments 

 6-9 and 12, are well developed and have their plantse armed with 

 series of black booklets ; on their base exteriorly is a small pencil of 

 short hairs, and three still smaller contiguous pencils anteriorly, visi- 

 ble with a lens : the two pairs of conical prolegs on segments 5 and 

 10 (completing the seven pairs ascribed to this larva*), are rudimen- 

 tary, without plantse, bearing apically a few short hairs. 



Sting of larva. — On several occasions subsequent to the third 

 molting, while transferring the larvse to fresh leaves, a slight pricking 

 sensation was felt, which was not, however, sufiidently decided to 

 arrest attention ; a larva seemingly so inofiensive in its downy dress, 

 and so timid as to roll itself up in a ball at any rude touch, was not to 

 be suspected of the possession of a method of defense bestowed, in like 

 degree, upon only two other associate Bombycideans. Later, with 

 their increased growth, the pricking became more acute, and its source 

 could no longer be doubted. If a larva was pressed with tlie back of 

 a finger, or permitted to drop upon it from a moderate height, a sharp 

 stinging would be felt, soon becoming more acute, and followed 

 in a few minute* with a redness of the skin, and elevated white spots 



* Pi'oc. Ent. Soc., Ph., 1864, Tol. iii, p. 33G. 



