164 



EVENINGS AT THE MICROSCOPE. 



fashion. The mode in which they are arranged is in a 

 short spiral, which makes about forty-rive whorls or 

 turns about the axis ; at least in the branches which are 

 situated about the middle of the antenna ; for these 

 diminish in length towards the extremity, bringing the 

 feather to a rather abrupt point. 



The entire surface of the branch gleams under re- 

 flected light with metallic hues, chiefly yellows and bronzy 

 greens ; which appear to depend on very minute and 

 closely-applied scales that overlap each other. The main 

 stem of the feather, — that is, the primary rod or axis, — 

 is somewhat sparsely clothed with scales of another kind, 

 thin, oblong, flat plates, notched at the end, and very 

 slightly attached by means of a minute stem at the 

 base, —the common clothing-scales of the Lepidoptera, 

 specimens of which we have before examined. 



POKTION OF ANTENNA OF OAK EGGER MOTH. 



We may acquire some glimpse of a notion why this 

 remarkable development of antennae is bestowed upon the 

 male sex of this moth, by an acquaintance with its habits. 

 It has long been a practice with entomologists, when they 

 have reared a female moth from the chrysalis, to avail 

 themselves of the instincts of the species to capture the 



