348 
LEPIDOPTEBA. 
scribed species, which some of the French entomologists* 
have supposed to be the same as the great tiger, Arctia Caja^ 
of Europe. Of this fine insect I have a specimen, Avhich Avas 
presented to me by Mr. Edward Doubleday, who obtained it, 
with several others, near Trenton Falls in Noav York. It 
I 
has not yet been discovered in Massachusetts, but will proba¬ 
bly be found in the western part of the State. The fore 
wings of the Arctia Americana expand two inches and a half 
or more ; they are of a brown color, with several spots and 
broad winding lines of white, dividing the brown surface into 
a number of laro-e irre^lar blotches ; the hind wfino-s are 
ochre-yellow, with five or six round blue-black spots, three 
of them larger than the rest; the thorax is brown and woolly; 
the collar edged with Avhite before, and with crimson behind; 
the outer edges of the shoulder-covers are white; the abdo¬ 
men is ochre-yellow, with four black spots on the middle of 
the back ; the thighs and fore legs are red, and the feet dark 
brown. This moth closely resembles the European Cajay and 
especially some of its A^arieties, from all of Avhich, hoAveA^er, 
it is essentially distinguished by the wdiite edging of the col¬ 
lar and shoulder-coA^ers, and the absence of black lines on the 
sides of the body. It is highly probable that specimens may 
occur Avith orange-colored or red hind wings like the Cajay 
but I have not seen any such. The catei'pillar of our species 
probably resembles that of the Cajay Avhich is dark chestnut- 
brown or black, clothed Avith spreading bunches of hairs, of 
a foxy-red color on the fore part and sides of the body, and 
black on the back ; but the clusters of hairs, though thick, 
are not so close as to conceal the breathing holes, Avhich form 
a distinct roAV of pearly-A\’hite spots on each side of the body. 
These caterpillars eat the lea\'es of various kinds of gar¬ 
den plants Avithout much discrimination, feeding together in 
considerable numbers on the same plant Avhen young, but 
scattering as they groAv older. 
* Godart. L^pidopt. de France, Tom. IV. p. 303. It Is figured in the “-Lake 
Superior ” of Agassiz and Cabot, pi. 7, fig. 5. 
