NATURAL HISTORY. 



If you would live next to nature, read Recreation. 



AMERICAN SILK WORMS. 



C C. HASKINS. 



Three members of the Attacus family, 

 American silk worms, may be found in and 

 around Chicago. The most beautiful and 

 most rare of the 3 is Attacus luna, the luna 

 moth. The wings of this beautiful insect 

 are of the most delicate green. Each hind 

 wing is drawn out in a graceful taper, 

 forming a tail about 1V2. inches in length. 

 The front edge of the wings has a border 

 of purple brown velvet, a ribbon from 

 which trimming is carried back to a pretty 

 little eyelet. These eyelets, one on each 

 wing, are of Mexican opal, mounted in 

 enamel, garnet, topaz and jet. The hind 

 portion of the wings is scalloped with 

 purple brown velvet. The body is cov- 

 ered with the most dainty whitish wool, 

 and the legs are draped to match the 

 collar. The antennae are corn color. The 

 wings expand 4 to s l A inches. 



The caterpillar of the luna moth may 

 be found about the end of July or the 

 first of August, on walnut and hickory 

 trees. Its dress is a pale, clear, bluish 

 green, with a yellow stripe on each side 

 of the body. The back is trimmed be- 

 tween the rings, with narrow cord of the 

 same color. On each side of the rings 

 are about 6 minute pearls, tinged with 

 purple or rose red, and mounted en haut. 

 At the extremity of the body are 3 seal 



Cocoon 



Attacus Luna. 



brown ornaments, edged above with old 

 gold. 



When ready to spin, and go into winter 

 quarters luna binds together, with its 

 silk, 2 or 3 green leaves, and in the hollow 

 thus formed makes a silken nest about \% 

 inches in length. Changing at once into 

 a chrysalis the moth comes forth in June, 

 having completed the cycle of its existence. 



A second member of the family, Attacus 



Polyphemus, differs much from luna. The 

 caterpillars are not unlike, however, and 

 the making and the disposing of the co- 

 coon are identical. Polyphemus is much 

 the larger, its wings expanding 5 to 6 

 inches. Its dress is guilty of no trail, but 



Att 



acus 



Polyph 



lemus 



has more the cut of a street garment than 

 of a ball gown. The wings are cut al- 

 most square at the corners. 



Its colors are dull canary, more or less 

 clouded with black in the wings. In the 

 center of each wing is an eye-like jewel, 

 set in topaz and jet. Joining the eye spot 

 of the hind wings is a large amethyst set- 

 ting, shading into jet. Near the back 

 margin of the wings is a piece of amber 

 brown trimming, edged with sunset white. 

 The front of the fore wings has a pretty 

 finish of nun gray, and near the base of 

 these wings are 2 short splashes of red, 

 tinged with whits. 



A third member of the family is more 

 readily studied, because its cocoons, fast- 

 ened to the limb of a tree, remain in 

 sight throughout the winter. This insect, 

 the largest of the 3, has sometimes a 

 spread of wing covering 6^> inches. Ce- 

 cropia is not so showy as its relatives. Its 

 velvet is of the finest, but of generally 

 somber hues. The hind wings are more 

 rounded, and their ground color is a griz- 

 zled dusky brown, while the hinder mar- 

 gins are Chicago mud color. 



Near the middle of each wing is a 

 dull, opaque, reddish medallion, with a 

 white center and a narrow black edging. 

 Beyond this is a maroon band with white 

 lining ; and the fore wings have a col- 

 larette of the same. Near the tips of 

 these wings there is a jet jewel with a 

 bluish white crescent. The upper part of 

 the body is dull red. and the legs are 

 dressed like those of a French police- 

 man. 



The caterpillar, 3 inches long, wears a 

 profusion of a sort of prickly pear jewelry 



57 



