BOMBYCIDiE. 1 29 
the leading characteristics of both continents, i. e. 
Africa and Asia; a remark in which all who have 
examined the insects of the two countries will not, 
w^e think, hesitate to concur. * 
As far as we are acquainted with them, the cater- 
pillars of this group are pretty similar to each other, 
having smooth skins, generally of a yellow or green 
colour, with transverse rows of tubercles of a diffe- 
rent colour from the body. Considerable variations, 
however, from this typical form, are observable in 
many of the species. The caterpillar of A. ery- 
thrinoe^ for example, is even more anomalous than 
the perfect insect, affording one of the most remark- 
able instances with which we are acquainted of 
important changes at different periods of develop- 
ment. If we may place full confidence in the figures 
which have been given of it, after having attained a 
certain stage of its growth, it is either yellow spot- 
ted with black, the head, legs, anal segment, and 
caudal horn ferruginous; or it is black, with the 
parts just mentioned ferruginous ; or, finally, it is 
yeilow with broad black rings. In all these modifi- 
cations as to colour, it bears four very large black 
spines behind the head, and two others near the 
hinder extremity, t When full grown, all these 
spines fall off with its last change of skin, and the 
caterpillar is either black, yellow mottled with 
* Linn. Trans., vol. xviii. p. 437. 
f In Madame Merian's figures, tlie size of the seines is 
Bomewhat exaggerated. See the 11th p'^ate of her Insects of 
Surinam. 
