DISEASES OF THE COTTON PLANT. 
181 
armed liave a peculiarly poisonous property, and are capar 
ble of inflicting painful and severe wounds, similar to the 
sting of a wasp. It is therefore necessary, if the insects 
require to be touched, to use a stick or branch, when 
- removing them from the plants on which they feed. 
These caterpillars- cannot be classed among those very 
injurious to cotton, as they do not appear to be suflSciently 
numerous to effect much damage. Very few complaints 
have been made about them by the planters either of 
Georgia or South Carolina; but this year (1855) the 
same caterpillar was found very abundant in the cotton 
fields near Tallahassee, but the damage done by them was 
trifling. 
Mr. Newman, of Philadelphia, who has paid much 
attention to the breeding of caterpillars, states that this 
insect is found on the willow. Dr. Harris says, they are 
also found upon the balsam-poplar and elm, in Massa- 
chusetts ; and, according to Smith and Abbot, in their 
" Insects of Georgia," it is found on the dogwood, sassafras, 
and Indian com, which are devoured by them. 
This caterpillar is from two inches and a quarter to 
two inches and three-quarters in length ; but, as Dr. Harris 
has minutely described them, I will quote his own words : 
" The caterpillars are of a pea-green color, with a 
broad, brown stripe, edged below with white, on each side 
of the body, beginning on the fourth segment and ending at 
the tail. They are covered with spreading clusters of green 
prickles, tipped with black, and of a uniform length. Each 
of these clusters consists of about thirty prickles, branching 
from a common centre, and there are six clusters on each 
of the rings, except the last two, on which there are only 
five, and on the first four rings, on each of which there is 
an additional cluster low down on each side. The feet are 
