The face is a tiny brown patch with small eyes, for the size of
the moth, and large brown antennae, shaped like those of Cecropia.
The grey band of the costa crosses the top of the head. The
shoulders are covered with pinkish, yellow-brown hair. The top
and sides of the abdomen are a lighter shade of the same.
The under side of the abdomen is darker brown, and the legs brown
with very dark brown feet. These descriptions do the harmonizing
colours of the moth no sort of justice, but are the best I can offer.
In some lights it is a rich YELLOW-BROWN, and again a pink flush
pervades body and wings.
My first experience with a living Polyphemis (I know Telea is shorter,
but it is not suitable, while a giant among moths it is, so that
name is best) occurred several years ago. A man brought me a living
Polyphemus battered to rags and fringes, antennae broken and three
feet missing. He had found a woman trying ot beat the clinging
creature loose from a door screen, with a towel, before the wings
were hardened for flight, and he rescued the remains.
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