THE CATERPILLAR. 
33 
careful not to pounce upon the bristly caterpillars, 
but to choose those with soft smooth bodies. In 
hot countries, the spines are much stiffer and 
stronger than they ever are here, and some of 
these creatures look very formidable. 
There is one* that bears the ugly nick-name of 
u the Hickory-horned devil;” though in reality it 
can do no one any harm. It lives in America, and 
feeds on the leaves of the walnut and hickory-nut 
tree. The common people are as much frightened 
at it as they are at the rattle-snake, and run away 
the moment they see it. A traveller once took a 
great deal of trouble to explain how harmless it 
was, and even held it in his hand, and tried to 
persuade them to touch it. But they all shrank 
back in alarm and would not come near it. Their 
cry was, 66 It will not hurt you, but it would 
sting us to death!” 
I think if you were to meet with this queer¬ 
looking creature for the first time, you would be 
alarmed too. It is about the length of your 
hand, and very thick, and of a yellow-green 
color. Each of its rings has a few black spines 
upon it, but the most formidable part is the 
neck and head. For there the spines are very 
long and fierce-looking; and when it is disturbed, 
it has a way of raising its head, and setting them 
* Of the moth Bombyx regalis. 
