THE SATURNIANS. 
381 
Saturnians (Saturniad^), from Saturnia^ the name of a 
genus included in this group. The caterpillars are naked, 
are generally short, thick, and clumsy, cylindrical, but fre¬ 
quently hunched on the back of each ring, especially when 
at rest, and are furnished with a few warts, which are either 
bristled with little points or very short hairs, or are crowned 
with sharp and branching prickles. They live on trees or 
shrubby plants, the leaves of which they devour; some of 
them, when young, keep and feed together in swarms, but 
separate as they become older. When fully gi’own and 
ready to make their cocoons, some of them draw together a 
few leaves so as to form a hollow, within which they spin 
their cocoons; others fasten their cocoons to the stems or 
branches of plants, often in the most artful and ingenious 
manner; and a very few transform upon or just under the 
surface of the ground, where they cover themselves with 
leaves or grains of earth stuck together with a little gummy 
matter. The escape of the moth from its cocoon is rendered 
easy by the fluid which is thrown out and softens the threads. 
The chrysalis offers no striking peculiarities, being smooth, 
not hairy, and not provided with transverse notched ridges. 
This group contains some of the largest insects of the order; 
moths distinguished bv great extent and breadth of wings, 
thick and woolly bodies, and antennae which are widely 
feathered on both sides, from one end to the other, in the 
males at least, and often in both sexes. The tongue and feel- 
ers are extremely short and rarely visible. The wings are 
generally spread out when at rest, so as to display both pairs, 
and they are held either horizontally, or more or less elevated 
above the body ; a very few, however, turn the fore wings 
back, so as to cover the hind wings and the body in repose. 
There are no bristles and hooks to keep the fore hind wings 
together. In the middle of each wing there is generally a 
conspicuous spot of a different color from the rest of the 
surface, often like the eye-spot on peacocks’ feathers, some¬ 
times Avith a transparent space like talc or isinglass in the 
