MOTHS OF THE LIMBERLOST 



the heat of a house. They are the largest of any species, 

 and exquisitely coloured, the shades being strongest on 

 the upper side of the wings. They differ greatly in size, 

 most males having an average wing sweep of five inches, 

 and a female that emerged in my conservatory from 

 a cocoon that I wintered with particular care had a 

 spread of seven inches, the widest of which I have heard; 

 six and three quarters is a large female. The moth, on 

 appearing, seems all head and abdomen, the wings 

 hanging limp and wet from the shoulders. It at once 

 creeps around until a place where it can hang with the 

 wings down is found, and soon there begins a sort of 

 pumping motion of the body. I imagine this is to start 

 circulation, to exercise parts, and force blood into the 

 wings. They begin to expand, to dry, to take on 

 colour with amazing rapidity, and as soon as they are 

 full size and crisp, the moth commences raising and 

 lowering them slowly, as in flight. If a male, he emerges 

 near ten in the forenoon, and flies at dusk in search of a 

 mate. 



As the females are very heavy with eggs, they usually 

 remain where they are. After mating they begin almost 

 at once to deposit their eggs, and do not take flight 

 until they have finished. The eggs are round, having a 

 flat top that becomes slightl}" depressed as they dry. 

 They are of pearl colour, with a touch of brown, changing 

 to grayish as the tiny caterpillars develop. Their out- 



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