THE INTEREST IN INSECTS 



25 



were not an inch in length have devel- 

 oped to a sweep of six and one-half 

 inches. Suddenly a quivering- motion 

 seizes the moth ; it begins a slow rais- 

 ing and lowering of the wings, exercis- 

 ing them for flight and, by the time- 

 two hours have passed, it is reach- to 

 sail forth into the world and seek a 

 mate. 



The cecropia is our largest moth and, 

 next to the luna, 1 think holds supre- 

 macy over all mothdom. Its coloring- 

 is so wonderful and varied that an ac- 

 curate description would be almost im- 

 possible. One must see this moth to 

 appreciate its rare beauty. 



The cocoon of the cecropia is worthy 

 of study. Unlike that of the luna. i't 

 is loosely woven at one end, thus mak- 

 ing it much more easy for the moth to 

 escape. It is the largest cocoon spun 

 by any caterpillar. I have known these 

 cocoons to measure three and one-half 

 inches in length. Much silk is used in 

 their construction ; in fact, the cecropia 

 caterpillar is frequently called the 

 "American silkworm." The cecropia 

 spins itse cocoon in a variety of trees, 

 the maple, the wild cherry, the apple, 

 the alder and the willow. In exposed 

 places these cocoons are a beautiful 

 silver gray but if spun in a locality 

 where they are protected from the 

 weather their color is a rich brown. 



Luna cocoons are spun among the 

 leaves of birch and willow trees and 

 fall to the ground in the autumn, where 

 a careful search is required to find 

 them. They are about an inch in 

 length and of a light silver grav color. 



State For the past twenty-five years, 

 more or less, he has retired from active 

 beekeeping, leaving his apiary in charge 

 of his brother and settled in Stamford, 

 living with his two daughters one of 



Stamford's Veteran Beekeeper. 



The "American Bee Journal" has an 

 extended article descriptive of a tour 

 of New England by its editor. We 

 quote as follows from his liberal ap- 

 preciation of Mr. L. C. Root of Stam- 

 ford : 



"L. C. Root, son-in-law of Moses 

 Quinby, who was a contemporary of 

 Langstroth, is one of the greatest en- 

 thusiasts I have ever had the good luck- 

 to meet. During his entire life, what- 

 ever he has done has been done with 

 zeal and earnestness. He revised the 

 "Mysteries of Beekeeping" of Quinby 

 and the book is called "Ouinby's New 

 Beekeeping." For years he was one of 

 the largest beekeepers of New York 



MR. L. G. ROOT. 



whom is a physician of note. He keeps 

 only a few colonies of bees in the city, 

 in the attic of his barn, where I saw 

 them. But as energetic a man as he 

 could not remain long idle. So he was 

 entrusted with the duties of Milk In- 

 spector for Stamford. He was the first 

 inspector to prepare a bulletin in which 

 each dairy was separately reported and 

 its sanitary conditions carefully detail- 

 ed. The result was a host of friends 

 and some enemies, for the unsanitary 

 establishments could not be pleased 

 with a truthful record, while the moth- 

 ers and housekeepers were thankful 

 for the straightforward information 

 which his bulletins gave." 



The Nest of an Unknown Hornet. 



Shelburne, Massachusetts. 

 To the Editor : 



I enclose a photograph of a nest that 

 I found hanging under the eaves of an 

 old shop. Is this a freak nest of some 

 common was]), or is it a tvnical nest 

 of some uncommon one? It is the first 

 of the kind that I have ever seen. It 



