134 GOLD-TAILED MOTH. 



The egg masses are common enough, and are 

 readily discovered by means of their bright yellow 

 covering. 



The caterpillar of this moth is a very brilliant 

 scarlet and black creature, commonly known by the 

 name of the " palmer- worm," and to be found 

 plentifully of all sizes. 



People possessed of delicate skins must beware of 

 touching the palmer-worm, or they may suffer for 

 their temerity. I was a victim to the creature for 

 some time before I discovered the reason of my 

 sufferings. And the case was as follows. 



Being much struck with the vivid colours of the 

 caterpillar, I was anxious to preserve some speci- 

 mens, if possible, in a manner that would retain the 

 scarlet and black tints. One mode that seemed 

 feasible was to make a very small snuff-box, as 

 ladies call a rectangular rent, in the creature's skin, 

 to remove the entire vital organs, to fill the space 

 with dry sand, and then, when the skin was quite 

 dry, to pour out all the sand, leaving the empty 

 skin. 



After treating six or seven caterpillars in this 

 fashion, I perceived a violent irritation about my 

 face, lips, and eyes, which only became worse when 

 rubbed. In an hour or so my face was swollen in- 

 to a very horrid and withal a very absurd mass of 

 hard knobs, as if a number of young kidney potatoes 

 had been inserted under the skin. 



