HYALOPHORA CECROPIA. 133 
mity of the Avings brown, appearing as if powdered ; 
a round black spot is placed towards the tip having 
a light-coloured crescent within it, and there are 
several blood-coloured stains near it : a white zigzag 
line, accompanied with a blood-red streak, runs from 
this black spot to the anterior edge. The hinder 
wings are similar to the upper, but the white dis- 
coidal spot is larger, the transverse band broader, 
and bordered internally with white; the external 
margin dull buff-colour, with two faint black lines, 
and a row of transverse curved spots. All the mark- 
ings described appear brighter and more distinct on 
the under side. The hinder wings are bordered 
along the anterior edges with white, that colour 
becoming broader as it approaches the shoulders. 
The caterpillar is green, with the head, legs, and 
numerous projecting points over the body, yellow; 
there is also a pair of small blue spots on each seg- 
ment. It feeds on the wild American plum (^Prunus 
Pensylvanicci) and spins its cocoon on a branch. 
The cocoon is larger than a pigeon's ^gg^ of a yellow- 
ish-brown colour, the outer layer of silk rather coarse, 
the interior of finer texture. We are not aware that 
this silk has ever been unwound, but it has been 
carded, spun, and made into stockings, and Abbot 
states that it will wash like linen. The insect is 
rather plentiful in the neighbourhood of New York, 
but scarce in Georgia. The caterpillar has occasion- 
ally been reared by feeding it with the leaves of the 
apple-tree, jjut it is at all times difficult to make it 
flourish in confinement. 
