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Construction. of the outer floss covering, the inner coatings are diminished in thick- 

 ness and upon tins principle M. Hoffman of Munich, has succeeded in obtaining 

 considerably more than the ordinary supply of the middle layer, by placing the 

 worms when full grown in very confined situations, their instinct informing them 

 that m such case there is no necessity for a floss coating of the ordinary thickness 



The thread is continuous : its length in a cocoon varying from six hundred 'to 

 a thousand feet, and the whole does not weigh more than three grains and a half • 

 ten thousand cocoons scarcely averaging so much as five pounds weight An ounce 

 of eggs will produce about forty thousand caterpillars, which will produce from 

 80 to 100 lbs. of cocoons, or about 8 lbs. of raw silk. 



ARCTIA CAJA. THE LARGE TYGER MOTH. 



Plate XIII. fig. g— m . 



Synonyms. Phalsena (Bomb.) Caja, Linn. Syst. Nat. ii. p. 819. Donovan Brit. Ins, l.pl. 15. Albinos 

 Ins. pi. 20. Wilkes Eng. Moths, pi. 36. 

 Eyprepia Caja, Ochsenheimer, Curtis. 

 Arctia Caja, Schrank, Latreille, Stephens. 

 Chelonia Caja, Godart. 



Upper Side. The antenna are finely pectinated, those of the male being largest. The thorax 

 is dark brown. The superior wings are of a cream colour, having a number of large cloud- 

 like spots of a deep brown colour. The abdomen and inferior wings are scarlet, fringed with 

 yellow. The former having a black stroke on every annulus. The latter are spotted with black, 

 each spot being about the size of a tare. The female is shewn at (*), and the male as setting at (I). 



The caterpillar when full fed appears as shewn at (h), and changes to a black chrysalis, seen 

 at (2), m a grey web ; and the moth appears the end of June. The eggs are of a fine green 

 colour, and are laid in a very regular and curious order, like a pavement. 



Expansion of the wings 2f — 3 inches. 



This is one of the commonest, and at the same time most brilliantly coloured, 

 of our moths. The caterpillars which appear to be omnivorous, have obtained the 

 name of woolly bears, from their dense coating of hairs, and the same character has 

 been employed in the formation of the modern generic name of the moth, Arctia. 



ORGYIA GONOSTIGMA. THE SCARCE VAPOURER MOTH. 



Plate XIV. fig. a—g. 



Synonyms. Phalsena (Bombyx) Gonostigma, Linn. Syst. Nat. ii. 826. Donovan Brit. Ins. vol. 9. 

 pi. 316. Albin's Ins. pi. 90. fig. a— d. Wilkes Eng. Mollis, pi. 65. 

 Orgyia Gonostigma, Ochsenheimer, Stephens. Curtis Brit. Ent. pi. 378. 



Upper Side, The antennae are dark brown, and pectinated. The thorax and abdomen are 

 also brown. The superior wings are of a fine brown, having a number of fine blueish lines near 

 the shoulder, and a spot of orange colour near the lower corner of the wing. The inferior are of 

 the same dark brown. I have shewn the male at (d). The female hath no wings, but appears 

 motionless, like a lifeless lump, as at (f). 



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