New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-12-25
IN HOUR WITH HORNED CA1ERPILLARs

IN HOUR WITH HORNED CA1ERPILLAho'
-,,, ru,,,ov rprnp OF I1MAoopEs-ExToMoLoa-
1cAL oRcmns-BRIGHT CoLoRs AND sIISelNo
PLUMEs.
al do not,n remarked Mr.. Elliott parenthet-
,cav "a he uaced before TRIBUNE reporter tray con-
tanning leaves on which few hundred Iimacoues mere
browsing "fnd myself in accord with the distinguishes
men who have classified eaterpilara They nave ""uo
a group OF ceratocampads or horned caterphiaiS' ""
this brings lnto one tribe the magnihcent reg'S' s
inperias which has many points OF resemblance Will
the erst and these queer but interesting hmacodeA
90 called from the resemblance CT some OF them 10 sa"
,uRs; besides some others which are mmateriA nero
che limaeodes so peculiar tnat DUMPING 'nei NV
the category with those royal calerpiArS reK'
and mperias seems unsclentlhc and opposeu 10 ooio
sense Some Of the hmacodes are exceedingly nihu'e'
are I'm fact mere specks and requires special powers
Of observation TO capture them. L have never Deen
able 10 do much In that direction but the VIE Oh harry
Edw ards, presdent Is wonderful galnefer oi una
codes. When her keen eyes have onoe detected tnei
presence on somo bush she seats herself calmly on tnt
ground beside It. and commences an investigation ~
thorough that she has been known take more than
one hundred and fifty from that one bush Inc olSssh
cation Of macodes is most unsatisaeory as only tnos
now are true members that resemble the slug IneSe
little gems are really the orchids OF entomology ana
many examples simulate tho forms OF other creatures
inst as orchid blossoms do. We divide them roughly
into the horse blankets the ssddecloth singers tue
'feathered crabs, the 'seaeggS' the 'aphds' tne
.striped aphids' and the slugs all OF which ought 10
20 In my opinion into one family.
.The horse banbets' Of two kinds. the only
difference being in ooors and this may be sexual
One KIND yellow with purple stripes Of the most gym
etroal character the other scarlet with ldentoai
purple stripes These are arranged in parallel noes on
the back and Sides There twelve piumes'
six on each side Of che back, aud between
them is band OF four parallel purple
ines. caterpillar breathes through spraoies,
which arc arranged on the Sides and these are indicated
by deeper color the yellow ones, sshter In the scar
let ones The saddecoth singers are called stmuea
from the power 10 rritate the akin adegree which
resembles the effect Of nettle These peau'nu h'eis
creatures are easily distinguished by the bright arrange
ment on their backs, which exactly initiates the housing
OF horse IN pageant atournament and appearSn
dragon saddlecoth Thsis Of most brilliant green'
the creatures feet where It lie Terminated Dy
belt OF prickes exactly Ike those on the fruit OF
cactus In the middle OF the saddlecloth Is CIRCULAR
match Of purple surrounded by brilliant white edgng
and this Is of with black line The edges OF the
,addIeoloth have similar finish OF fine white line ac'
| sented by @ dne black The stingers are -FOUR
numes which are set transversey two before and two
behind the saddecoth. They look ike tufts OF oiacs
nars II you touch him that central spot 10 WILL WIN
scorpion.ke action, hit you with his tour piumeS'
rrylt" - l. .
| oloth and wa. at once rewarded by smart unglnR
.n,aton exactly like that produced by the ordinary
nettls lie then examined the creature all around anu
by the aid Of a powerful glass discovered SYM
I'm the arran cement OF the prcEes along tue DotIon
NJ the saddccloih and at the little wrechs head anu
tail which resom0le ed the form Of radates Ihey were
s perect rosettes at the head and tall and along the
haitian were arranged In clusters with big pEcKlelh tns
| ,eutre The one which / prefer" continued "l
Elliott (. this one which has general resemblance tc
a crab But this IL only apparent "hat one "ouiu
imagine 10 be the legs OF crab In reality peree
oanovly and roof Of feathers completely hldlng th'
oo,srnllar which moves about under them unseen
u,hsn bird comes aud selEes him he surrenders th'
feather which has been gripped by tho peak Win Pereo
ood.pature aud tho asonished bird swallows what ~
has gained with disgust and ohAgEin Wnen TIC 70 sont
% ncome a pupa his feathars fall from him one by one
rbav are russet and black with some interminghns
; wn,,a and they have that peculiarly graceful cur
htoh Aistnlshes the plumes Of the ostrich Ihey Ar
I'm niue segmeuts, which do not oorrespouu
any way with the thirteen segmens OF all oaterp@is
"The seA.eggs are exceedingly minute and are TO
,hsbls for their resemblance the forms OF radialei
! | ThsV hayo neither horns nor piumes' OUT oeAu
sr,anced symmetroaly, and there Is stripe down IN
hack which has fine geometrio forms OF decoration
same wonderful popularity obserVaoie IN 'uo Suk
which are OF two colors, pale bun and pale green al
hese two tones combined In goometEicaI pAttefh
pt Vvavs on the tnoraoc segment which Is general
! 60. +. q, Audrew's cross, sometimes Latin cross
The BODY Of this nmsoodls seems TO be naked ot .
sponpk powerful glass You Will see series Oh %
J. ARA ged pretty much as tue spines oil "a
b. at RECALLS are though atOgeiher dlnerent 10 eol
structon In THIS they resemble inc tuIts Oh 'se
cloth Atngers stimuleas, but they are nOt ~ IN
IS cent Toward tns tell tue pale bun deepens INTO s
e sTSoze the metallic lustre being plain and
ii Thrre IA one OF tho sings quite minute IN s.Le M
% go arr gold aud rostsooor. have Thought hat va
X IN, simply bp maturity and that ne was hmaood
10 ~ ns nfth staxe But examination OF ms prloALs
Ihave reason 10 doubt aud believe MN h9w 70
another species. He, too, 10 cros7OeaIoi' 80 IN,
saof,r .oeces OF tho slugs which Ii 50 IKE o1s hi
" /, has bseu styled scRphl. Tis Que mas Itnl
"a hnmo ana Is pale bun aud pale green Ihe apn, Us
"A reay more Ike twOailed trilobi,o Livery So
unacodes Il uncertain, however TUG ~ I,To,.
nj naturasts up To the past few years was not
III mnon 10 "a erpilars, ont almost e1cuaNey 10 uo
- Iscted insect Now, however We 0egn TO IeHtlze ~
- I'm lepidoptera the true life IA In inc bI
n, And tnis ia particularly truo OF hmhoOues 50 'as
NJ sIch hss h.an ssid Ia nearly ground resh oose
ron aud Ienlatiyo efforts after truth II must tneotO
T. he taRen as an approximate rather thah az poS'
~ statement" - ..,.,o- "tbere ia no don
he IN nv mi ad OF the lug Ters OF your
a. aN {" aid Mr. Elliott with gentle cnuoAe' So mu
| "A suq atiO