MOTHS OF THE LIMBERLOST 



Rowley eggs from which to obtain its history for himself. 

 I had taxed Mr. Rowley's time and patience as an expert 

 lepidopterist, to read my text, and examine my illustra- 

 tion; and I hoped in a small way to repay his kindness 

 by sending him a box of fertile Regalis eggs. 



The other pupa cases were healthful and lively, but 

 the moths would not emerge. I coaxed them in the 

 warmth of closed palms — I even laid them on dampened 

 moss in the sun in the hope of softening the cases, and 

 driving the moths out with the heat, but to no avail. 

 They would not come forth. 



I had made my studies of the big moth, when she was 

 fully developed; but to my despair, she was depositing 

 worthless eggs over the inside of my screen door. 



Four days later, the egg-laying period over, the female, 

 stupid and almost gone, a fine male emerged, and the 

 following day another. I placed some of the sand from 

 the bottom of the box on a brush tray, and put these two 

 cases on it, and set a focused camera in readiness, so that 

 I got a side view of a moth just as it emerged, and one 

 facing front when about ready to cling for wing expansion. 

 The history of their appearance was similar to that of 

 the female, only they were smaller, and of much brighter 

 colour. The next morning I wrote Professor Rowley of my 

 regrets at being-unable to send the eggs as I had hoped. 



At noon I came home from half a day in the fields, to 

 find Raymond sitting on the Cabin steps with a big box, 



362 



