MOTHS OF THE LIMBERLOST 



by the size of the cocoon. In the case of the twins, the 

 cocoon of the female was the larger; bnt I have known 

 male and female alike to emerge from large or small. 

 You are fairly sure of selecting a pair if you depend 

 upon weight. The females are heavier than the males, 

 because they emerge with quantities of eggs ready to 

 deposit as soon as they have mated. If any one wants 

 to winter a pair of moths, they are reasonably sure of 

 doing so by selecting the heaviest and lightest cocoons 

 they can find. 



In the selection of cocoons, hold them to the ear, and 

 with a quick motion reverse them end for end. If there 

 is a dull, solid thump, the moth is alive, and will emerge 

 all right. If this thump is lacking, and there is a rattle 

 like a small seed shaking in a dry pod, it means that the 

 caterpillar has gone into the cocoon with one of the tiny 

 parasites that infest these worms, clinging to it, and the 

 pupa has been eaten by the parasite. 



In fall and late summer are the best times to find 

 cocoons, as birds tear open many of them in winter; and 

 when weather-beaten they fade, and do not show the 

 exquisite shadings of silk of those newly spun. When 

 fresh, the colours range from almost white through 

 lightest tans and browns to a genuine red, and there is 

 a silvery effect that is lovely on some of the large, baggy 

 ones, hidden under bridges. Out of doors the moths 

 emerge in middle May or June, but they are earlier in 



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