24 



THE GUIDE TO NATURE 



Photograph by Edwin L. Jack. 



THE LUNA MOTH. 



The beautiful long and curved "trailers" seem to give 



this moth a touch of distinction above all others. 



cast off and its body is changed into a 

 dark, shiny pupa. Jn this state the 

 moth remains through the winter. 



You may wonder how so delicate a 

 creature as a moth, with often a six 

 and one-half inch expansion of wing, 

 is to escape from the cocoon without 

 being fatally injured. The process is 

 simple, yet the most wonderful with 



which I am acquainted. Many cocoons, 

 such as that of the luna, are completely 

 sealed at each end, while others, 

 such as that of the cecropia, are woven 

 loosely at one end. In the case of the 

 luna, when the moth has reached ma- 

 turity and is about to emerge, a damp 

 spot appears on one end of the cocoon ; 

 nature has provided the moth with an 

 acid which it ejects at just the proper 

 moment. This acid softens the hard 

 case of the cocoon ; suddenly there is a 

 scratching and clawing from within ; 

 the surface of the damp spot begins to 

 rise and fall ; at last it bursts open and 

 the moth drags forth its large body in- 

 to a world of light and sunshine. Im- 

 mediately after clearing the opening, 

 the moth climbs some near-by support, 

 from which it hangs so that its wings 

 may dry and expand, for at the time of 

 emerging a moth's wings are no larger 

 than a man's thumb nail. 



As we watch, we suddenly become 

 aware that these small, damp wings are 

 taking on size and color and before our 

 very eyes, in less than three-quarters 

 of an hour, wings which at emergence 



Photograph by Edwin L. Jack. 



THE CECROPIA MOTH. 



When fully expanded this moth's wings measured six and one-half inches from tip to tip. 



