THE REGAL WALNUT-MOTH. 
401 
on the top of the first ring, and four on the second and the 
third rings, or ten in all, were very much longer than the 
rest, and were tipped with little knobs, ending in two points; 
they were also movable, the insect having the power of drop¬ 
ping them almost horizontally over the head, and of raising 
them up again perpendicularly. On the eleventh ring there 
were seven spines, the middle one being long and knobbed 
like those on the fore part of the body; on the last ring there 
were eleven short and branched spines. After casting its 
skin two or three times, the caterpillar becomes lighter- 
colored, and gradually changes to green; the knobs on the 
long spines disappear, their little points or branches do not 
increase in size, and finally these spines become curved, turn¬ 
ing backwards at their points, and resemble horns. When 
fully grown, the caterpillar (Fig. 195) measures from four to 
Fig. 195. 
five inches in length, and about three quarters of an inch 
in diameter. It is of a green color, and transversely banded 
across each of the rings with pale blue; there is a large blue- 
black spot on each side of the third ring ; the head and legs 
are orange-colored; the ten long horn-like spines on the fore 
part of the body are orange-colored, with the tips and the 
points surrounding them black; the other spines are short and 
black. Notwithstanding the great size, formidable appear¬ 
ance, and menacing motions of this insect, when handled it 
is perfectly harmless, and unable to sting or wound with its 
frightful horns. It lives solitary on walnut and hickory trees, 
the leaves of which it eats ; crawls down and goes into the 
ground towards the end of summer, and changes to a chrysalis 
51 
