The Cotton Worm—Its History, Character, Visitations, Etc. [pp. 535-543]

THE COTTON WORM.
ing to and exactly even with the end of the tail; shape of the wings
which are small and extremely thin and delicate, are like that of a fan.
Front legs half the length of the posterior, of a uniform orange color;
the intermediate legs very little longer than the anterior; the thighs of
a deep orange color, the rest of the leg annulated with orange and
white. The posterior legs long in comparison to the others; thighs of
a deep orange color, the rest of the leg annulated with black and white,
the rings being larger than those of the intermediate. The trunk is
of a uniormn shining black, as would be the upper surface of the abdomen also, were it not for the very narrow white bands which connect
the black scales together, giving to the abdomen an annulated appearance these white lines do not encircle the abdomen, but terminate uniformly on tle sides. On the under surface of the abdomnen these white
rings again com,mence, which are much larger than those on the upper
surface, causing the abdomen to look almost white. The tail terminates in a bifdircated sheath, enclosing a long blunt sting, projecting
considerably beyond the tail, and forming a very prominent feature in
the general figure of the irsect. This is a small slender insect, mnuch
longer than the honey bee but not so thick.
Now it is evident from its specific character, as well as from its pa.
rasitic nature, this insect belongs to that numerous class called ichneu.
mons, of which there are upwards of five hundred species. As I am
not at present in possession of any practical work on Entomology, I
cannot determine the species of this ichneumon, but to show that it
differs in some respects from the family to which it belongs, I will quote
a paragraph from a work befo)re me, in which are set forth some pecu.
liarities belonging to that class of insects as a genus:
"The whole of this singular genus have been denominated parasitical, on account
of the very extraordinary manner in which they provide for the future support of
their young. The fly feeds on the honey of flowers, and when about to lay her egg,
perforates the body of soiie other insect, or its larva with its sting or instrument, Iat
the end of the abdomen, and then deposits them. The eggs in a few days hatch, and
the young larva, which resemble minute white maggots, nourish themselves with the
juices of the foster parent, which, however, continues to mlove about and feed until
near the time of its changing into a chrysalis, when the larva of the if.hneumon
ereep out by perforating the skin in various places, and each spinninlg itself up in a
snall oval silken case, changes into a chrysalis, and after a certain period they
*merge in the state of complete ichnteumons."
It will be seen that there is a peculiarity attached to this ichneumon
not included in the above description, that of appropriating the chrysa.
lis as well as the larvae of other insects, to the use of their young. All
ichneumrnons that I ever read of spin their own chrysalis, but this is the
prince of parasites, for not content with eating the substance of his
neighbor, he seizes also on his house. So far as I have read concerning
tias curious family of insects, this is a nondescript. As an example of
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