Article beginning on page 169.
Psyche 4:169, 1883.

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May 1884.1 ps 2-CFL9. 169
ing list, one (23. frzcostata, if n~y mem- ory serves aright) seems to be entirely
devoid of this secretion, but yet has the same habit of standing erect. These
beetles are the veritable skunks of their order, and doubtless, like their ill-scented superiors, find protection in their com- paratively as formidable weapon. They
are apterous. and slow in their move-
ments, coming out from their hiding
places when the sun is declining, and
feed upon dead matter or excrements.
On the bare plains they are readily seen, and I doubt not that they find protection from birds, and perhaps from skunks
also, by means of their secretion.
[For further information on this subject, see Rec., 1430.1
A CURIOUS HABIT OF CALLOSAAIIA PROMETHBA. BY JOHN GEORGE JACK, CHATEAUGUAY BASIN, P. Q., CANADA. FOR several years I have been very
much puzzled, in summer, to account
for numbers of green leaves, some being
partly eaten, found on the ground be-
neath trees having long petioled leaves, such as maples and poplars, the petioles of which apparently had been eaten
through by some insect. Last summer,
while in New Jersey, I noticed similar
occurrences beneath a sweet gum tree,
Liquidambar styraciflua, and upon
looking for the cause I found that it
was the work of nearly full grown larvae of CaZZosamia promethe+ which were
feeding on the foliage. The petioles
of Liyuidatnbar leaves are usually
very long (from 5 to 10 cm.)
and quite
slender.
To get at the leaves the caterpillar
was either obliged to abandon the
branch of the tree and
crawl out on the
leafstalk to the leaf, where it would be in a very dangerous position, with
slight foothold, and where it was very
probable that, owing to the weight of its body, it would break off the leaf at the node and fall to the ground; or, the
caterpillar must contrive to bring the
leaf to itself in some way, while still
keeping a sure foothold on the branch.
To do this last required a little skill
and I found that the caterpillar was
equal to the task. Grasping the twig
firmly with the anal and sometimes one
or two pairs of the abdominal legs, it
would extend the remaining portion of
its body along the leafstalk, which it
commenced eating. As soon as the
leafstalk was about half eaten through,
the caterpillar would recede a little and eat another place half through or more,
and sometimes a third place. By this
time the leafstalk had become so weak-
ened that the leaf began to droop, and
the caterpillar, reaching forward again
as far as possible and grasping the stalk beyond the first incision, was able to
bend it, and, drawing the leaf up to
itself, eat it without loosing its sure
foothold on the tree.
Sometimes the leafstalk was eaten
through a little too far, or broke off in bending, which accounted for the green
leaves found on the ground.




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