164 FIFTH REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL COMMISSION. 
the thickness of the twig, an Irregular, somewhat spiral ring is formed and others 
added, until toward the last the abdomen ii raised and the ovipositor brought up 
between lbs Legs. The lower or first deposited ones incline so as to almost lie on their 
(5tfa Ifo. Kt., p. i . 
Mr, Joseph A. Stuart has communicated to me the following notes 
on this moth observed by him at Dracat, Ifasfl : 
September 85, 1876: Marked olnsterof eggs laid by wis around the stems of Spi- 
rcta salicifolia in a cranberry swamp. May 25, 1-7? : Waded into my meadow to the 
marked olnsterof eggs, and found the larv;e hatched and one-(juarter of au inch long, 
feeding upon the plant on whieh the empty egg-shells still remained. Juue3: Plenty 
of broods to be found in the meadow. June 10 : Those in the meadow began to scat- 
ter: at this tune commencing to show the two rows of dull-yellow warts upon the 
back, otherwise black in color with red head and legs. June 17: In the meadow 
they were from three-quarters of an inch to one and one-quarter inches long, and the 
branching spines showed plainly. Rarely more than one to be found on a plant. June 
24 : Show the yellow dots between the warts and spines and the yellow u crescents " 
above the prop-legs. They are getting more scarce. Have found two specimens on 
the rough-leaved hardback, but not a single specimen on the dog rose, though in one 
case found a dog rose growing intertwined with an infested hardback, neither have 
I found them near a cranberry vine. In former years while picking cranberries from 
September 15 to 25 have found freshly-emerged moths on a spear of grass and an 
empty naked chrysalis in the peat moss three to four inches deep. Have never seen 
them on upland in either State. 
The spines are poisonous, as in most spinose silk-worms, especially 
those on the back. Notwithstanding its armature, it is preyed upon by 
two parasites Limneria fugitiva (Say) and a species of Microgaster. 
Dr. J. A. Lintner states that the freshly-hatched caterpillars are at- 
tacked by a bug, Anna modesta, which destroys whole broods at a 
time. Dr. Lintner has given the most detailed account of the trans- 
formations of this fine moth, but for convenience we copy the more con- 
densed account of the larval changes as given by Riley : 
Egg. — Length, .05 to .06 inch : obovate ; compressed on the sides and at the apex ; 
reddish-brown above, below yellowish-white. 
Larva before first molt. — Length, .15 inch. It is black and granulated above, red- 
dish-brown and smooth below, with a row of spots along the middle joints. The 
prolegs are brown ; head with a few scattering hairs: spines placed in the normal 
position, namely. 6 (in longitudinal rows) on all joints except 11, where two dorsal 
ones are replaced by a single medio-dorsal one. an additional snbveutral one each 
side on joints 1. 2, 3, 4. 5. and 10, and an additional medio-dorsal one on joint 12. 
They consist of a thickened, sub-cylindrical, polished black stem, nearly as long as 
the diameter of the body, truncated at tip, which is coronated with three or four 
short points, and emits a long black bristle, which, under high magnifying power 
appears barbed. Ou the thoracic joints the stem of the six superior rows is forked 
near its tip. 
After first molt.— The body remains the same, but the spines, whieh are now longest 
on thoracic joints, are more branched, with more hairs from the main stem, and the 
bristles from blunt ends comparatively short. 
After second molt.— The dorsal spines are still more branched, and often less trun- 
cated, so that the bristle is less distinctly separated and forms more nearly part of 
the tapering spine. The bristles also, especially on the lateral spines, are longer and 
paler. During the latter part of this stage the characteristics of the mature larva 
are indicated. 
