MOTHS OF THE LIMBERLOST 



tongue shield, will convince any one that when ready to 

 emerge these moths must bore the six inches to the sur- 

 face with the point of the abdomen, and there burst the 

 case, cling to the first twig and develop and harden the 

 wings. The a])dominal point is sharp, surprisingly 

 strong, and the rings of the segments enable it to turn in 

 all directions, while the earth is mellow and moist with 

 spring rains. To force a way head first would be im- 

 possible on account of the delicate tongue shield, and for 

 the moth to emerge underground and dig to the surface 

 without displacing a feather of down, either before or 

 after wing expansion, is unthinkable. Yet I always had 

 been in doubt as to precisely how the exit of a pupa 

 case moth took place, until I actually saw the earth 

 move and the sharp abdominal point appear while work- 

 ing in my garden. A few days later the Deacon found a 

 larger pupa a yard from the place he had located the first 

 one, but the spade cut the earth so it crumbled. I have 

 had several fine pupa? of this moth given me by Curry 

 Pyle, a friend to my work. 



Living pup?e can be had in the fall, by turning a few 

 shovels of soil close vegetables in any country garden. 

 In the mellow mould, among cabbages and tomato vines, 

 around old log cabins close the Limberlost swamp, they 

 are numerous, and the emerging moths haunt the sweet 

 old-fashioned flowers. 



The moth named Celeus, after a king of Eleusis, 



197 



