THE REGAL WALNUT-MOTH. 



401 



on the top of the first ring, and four on the second and the 

 third rings, or ten in all, were very much longer than the 

 rest, and were tipped with little knobs, ending in two points ; 

 they were also movable, the insect having the power of drop- 

 ping them almost horizontally over the head, and of raising 

 them up again perpendicularly. On the eleventh ring there 

 were seven spines, the middle one being long and knobbed 

 like those on the fore part of the body ; on the last ring there 

 were eleven short and branched spines. After casting its 

 skin two or three times, the caterpillar becomes lighter- 

 colored, and gradually changes to green; the knobs on the 

 long spines disappear, their little points or branches do not 

 increase in size, and finally thes© spines become curved, turn- 

 ing backwards at their points, and resemble horns. When 

 fully grown, the caterpillar (Fig. 195) measures from four to 



Kg 195. 



five inches in length, and about three quarters of an inch 

 in diameter. It is of a green color, and transversely banded 

 across each of the rings with pale blue ; there is a large blue- 

 black spot on each side of the third ring ; the head and legs 

 are orange-colored ; the ten long horn-like spines on the fore 

 part of the body are orange-colored, with the tips and the 

 points surrounding them black ; the other spines are short and 

 black. Notwithstanding the great size, formidable appear- 

 ance, and menacing motions of this insect, when handled it 

 is perfectly harmless, and unable to sting or wound with its 

 frightfiil horns. It lives solitary on walnut and hickory trees, 

 the leaves of which it eats ; crawls down and goes into the 

 ground towards the end of summer, and changes to a chrysaHs 



51 



