MOTHS OF THE LIMBERLOST 



the most important moths herein reproduced and de- 

 scribed. If they have no mouths, how can they eject 

 all this fluid from them? 



As soon as a moth can find a suitable place to cling 

 after it is out, it hangs by the feet and dries the wings 

 and down. Long before it is dry if you try to move 

 a moth or cause disturbance, it will eject several copious 

 jets of a spray from the abdomen that appears, smells 

 and tastes precisely like the liquid found in the abandoned 

 case. If protected from the lightest touch it w ill do the 

 same. It appeals to me that this liquid is abdominal, 

 partly thrown off to assist the moth in emergence; some- 

 thing very like that bath of birth which accompanies 

 and facilitates human entrance into the w^orld. It helps 

 the struggling moth in separating from the case, wets 

 the down so that it will pass the small opening, reduces 

 the large abdomen so that it will escape the exit, and 

 softens the case and silk where the moth is working. 

 With either male or female the increase in size is so rapid 

 that neither coidd be returned to their cases five minutes 

 after they have left them. 



It is generally supposed that the spray thrown by a 

 developing moth is for the purpose of attracting others 

 of its kind. I have my doubts. With moths that have 

 been sheltered and not even touched by a breath of 

 wind, this spray is thrown very frequently before the 

 moth is entirely dry, long before it is able to fly and be- 



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