MOTHS OF THE LIMBERLOST 



one delicate little organ for three distinct purposes. The 

 antennae are situated close where the nose is, in almost 

 every form of life, and I would prefer to believe that they 

 are the organs of scent and feeling. I know a moth 

 suffers most over any injury to them; but one takes flight 

 no quicker or more precipitately at a touch on the an- 

 tennae than on the head, wing, leg, or abdomen. 



We are safe in laying down a law that antennae are 

 homologous organs and used for identical purposes on 

 all forms of life carrying them. The short antennae of 

 grasshoppers appear to be organs of scent. The long 

 hair-fine ones of katydids and crickets may be also, but 

 repeatedly I have seen these used to explore the way 

 ahead over leaves and limbs, the insect feeling its path 

 and stepping where a touch assures it there is safe footing. 

 Katj^dids, crickets, and grasshoppers all have antennae, 

 and all of these have ears definitely located; hence their 

 feelers are not for auricular purposes. According to my 

 logic those of the moth cannot be either. I am quite 

 sure that primarily they serve the purpose of a nose, as 

 they are too short in most cases to be of nuich use as 

 "feelers," although that is undoubtedly their secondary 

 office. If this be true, it explains the larger organs of 

 the male. The female emerges from winter cjuarters so 

 weighted with carrying from two to six hundred eggs, 

 that she usually remains and develops where she is. 

 This throws the business of finding her location on the 



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