TIGER MOTH. 555 
THE TIGER-MOTH.—This common but beautiful moth is found in the 
beginning of autumn. It runs on the ground with such swiftness as to be often 
mistaken for a mouse. I have more than once seen a kitten chasing a tiger- 
moth among the flowers in a garden, evidently deceived by its resembla ice 
to a mouse. The larva is popularly called “ the woolly bear.” It is rat er 
large, and is surrounded with tufts of long elastic hairs of a reddish bro .n 
colour, which serve as a defence against many enemies. When disturbed. it 
rolls itself round, just as a hedgehog does, and if on a branch, suffers itself to 
fall to the ground, when the long hairy covering defends it trom being injure 
by the fall, When the caterpillar is about to change to a pupa, it spins a 
kind of hammock, and lies there until it comes forth as a moth. 
The colour and markings of this moth vary considerably. The usual tints 
are, the thorax brown, the body red, striped with black. The two anterior 
wings are cream colour, marked with bold patches of a deep brown: the 
posterior wings are bright red, spotted with bluish black. 
Perhaps the most curious example of this family is a species which de- 
rives its popular name from its habits. 
The HOUSE-BUILDER MOTH (Ocketicus Sandersiz) is common in many 
parts of the West Indies, and is in some places so plentiful as to do consider- 
able damage to the fruit-trees. As soon as the larva is hatched from the 
TIGER MOTH.—(Arctia caja.) 
egg, it sets to work in building its habitation : and even before it begins to 
feed, this industrious insect begins to work. The house is made of bits of 
wood and leaves, bound tozether with silken threads secreted in the interior. 
When the creature is small, and the house is of no great weight, it is carried 
nearly upright ; but when it attains size and consequent weight, it lies flat, and 
is dragged along in that attitude. The entrance of this curious habitation 
is so made that the sides can be drawn together, and whenever the creature 
feels alarmed, it pulls the cords and so secures itself from foes. 
THE next family derives the name of Geometridz from the mode of walking 
adopted by thelarva. These creatures have no legs on the middle of the body, 
and are in consequence unable to crawl in the usual manner. Their mode of 
progression is popularly and appropriately termed “looping,” and the caterpil- 
lars are called “loopers.” When one of these larve desires to advance, it grasps 
the object firmly with its fore feet, and draws the hind feet close to them, 
forming the body into an arched shape, not unlike the attitude of a cat which 
meets a strange dog. The hinder feet then take a firm hold, the body is 
projected forward, until the fore feet can repeat the process. The whole 
action of the larva reminds the observer of the leech when crawling. 
The power of grasp and general strength of muscle enjoyed by these 
larvee are really surprising. Many of them can seize a branch with their 
