LETTERS FROM ALABAMA. 
281 
whole surface to the ground^ moving with a sort of 
undulation in crawling like the belly of a slug^ 
except that it is dry^ and not slimy. The middle 
of the body is velvety green, bordered with white^ 
and having on the centre of the back a white ring 
surrounding a brown centre : each end of the body 
is of the same reddish-brown hue. It has four 
fleshy horns, one at each corner of the green on 
the back, which are studded with sharp hairs 
radiating in every direction ; outside these, at both 
ends, are shorter horns similarly armed ; and a row 
of similar armed projections, but of lighter colour, 
defends each side. -When the hand touches these 
spines, a sting is felt exactly like that of a nettle, 
but of greater smart, which continues for about an 
hour. By this sting the boys discovered it ; 
but on my being told of it, I disbelieved it, till I 
was convinced by actual experiment, repeated more 
than once. It crawls slowly. I subsequently 
obtained another of these larv^, on the leaves of a 
sassafras bush ; it is doubtless that of some butter- 
fly or moth_, but I did not succeed in rearing either 
individual. 
The same urticating property is possessed by 
the caterpillar of the Corn Emperor [Saturnia lo). 
This is of far superior size, being longer than my 
little finger, and as thick ; its ground colour is very 
pale bluish green, with a white band bounded by 
crimson lines running down each side, in which 
are the spiracles ; between the prolegs are on each 
segment a pair of red, triangular network spots. 
Every segment has six tubercles, which sting on 
the slightest touch, like a nettle, causing a little red 
tumour, 'with considerable pain: those segments 
which do not bear the prokgs, have eight bundles 
