THE HICKORY TUSSOCK-MOTH. 361 



name, signifying fine-haired, or Laving a flowing mane, is 

 given to it on account of the long tuft of hairs overhanging 

 the fore part of the caterpillar like a mane. This moth, in 

 some of its characters, approaches to the Lithosians, but 

 seems, in others, too near to the Arctians to be removed 

 from the latter tribe, and it is evidently, in the caterpillar 

 state, nearly allied to the following insects, which are un- 

 doubtedly Arctians, but lead apparently to the Liparians. 

 If our Arctians are grouped in a circle, with the larger kinds, 

 such as the great American tiger and leopard moths in the 

 middle, and the others arranged around them, then will these 

 species, which are here described last, be brought round to 

 the Callimorphas, with which the series began, and thus a 

 natural order of succession will be preserved. 



During the months of August and September there may be 

 seen on the hickory, and frequently also on the elm and ash, 

 troops of caterpillars (Plate VI. Fig. 1), covered with short 

 spreading tufts of white hairs, with a row of eight black tufts 

 on the back, and two long, slender, black pencils on the 

 fourth and on the tenth ring. The tufts along the top of the 

 back converge on each side, so as to form a kind of ridge r 

 crest ; and the warts, from which these tufts proceed, are 

 oblong-oval and transverse, while the other warts on the 

 body are round. The hairs on the fore part of the body are 

 much longer than the rest, and hang over the head ; the 

 others are short, as if sheared off, and spreading. The head, 

 feet, and belly are black ; the upper side of the body is white, 

 sprinkled with black dots, and with black transverse lines 

 between the rings. These neat and pretty caterpillars, when 

 young, feed in company on the leaves ; while not engaged in 

 eating, they bend down the head and bring OA^er it the long 

 hairs on the fore part of the body ; and, if disturbed or han- 

 dled, they readily roll up like the other Arctians. When 

 fully grown, they are nearly one inch and a half long. They 

 leave the trees in the latter part of September, secrete them- 

 selves under stones and in the chinks of .walls, and make 



40 



