MOTHS OF THE LIMBERLOST 



could buy, the plate seven by nine inches. By this time 

 long practice had made me rather expert in using my 

 cameras. When the advancing pair were fully inside 

 my circle of focus, I made the first exposure. Then I 

 told ]\Iolly-Cotton to keej) tlieni as nearly as possible 

 where they were, while I took one breathless peep at the 

 ground glass. Talk about exciting work ! No better focus 

 could be had on them, so I shoved in another plate with 

 all speed, and made a second exposure, which was no 

 better than the first. Had there been time, I would have 

 made a third to be sure, for plates are no object when a 

 study is at all worth while. As a rule each succeeding 

 effort enables you to make some small change for the 

 better, and you must figure on always having enough to 

 lose one through a defective plate or ill luck in develop- 

 ment, and yet end with a picture that will serve your 

 purpose. 



Then we closed the ventilators and released the moths 

 in the conservator3\ The female I placed on a lemon 

 tree in a shad}' spot, and the male at the extreme far 

 side to see how soon he woidd find her. We had sup- 

 posed it would be dark, but they were well acquainted 

 by dusk. The next morning she was dotting eggs over 

 the plants. 



The other cocoons produced mostly female living 

 moths, save one that was lost in emergence. I tried to 

 help when it was too late; but cutting open the cocoon 



259 



