MOTHS OF THE LIMBERLOST 



with her feet, and passed through the opening. She 

 was three and one half inches Jong, with a big pursy 

 abdomen, and wings the size of my thumb nail. I was 

 anxious for a picture of her all damp and undeveloped, 

 beside the broken pupa case; but I was so fearful of 

 spoiling my series I dared not touch, or try to reproduce 

 her. The head and wings only seemed damp, but the 

 abdomen was quite wet, and the case contained a quan- 

 tity of liquid, undoubtedlj^ ejected for the purpose of 

 facilitating exit. When you next examine a pupa, study 

 the closeness with which the case fits antennae, eyes, feet, 

 wings, head, thorax, and abdominal rings and you will 

 see that it would be impossible for the moth to separate 

 from the case and leave it with down intact, if it were dry. 



Immediately the moth l)egan racing around energet- 

 ically, and flapping those tiny wings until the sound 

 awakened the Deacon in the adjoining room. After a 

 few minutes of exercise, it seemed in danger of mjuring 

 the other cases, so it was transferred to the dresser, 

 where it climbed to the lid of a trinket case, and clinging 

 with the feet, the wings hanging, development began. 

 There was no noticeable change in the head and shoul- 

 ders, save that the down grew fluffier as it dried. The 

 abdomen seemed to draw up, and became more compact. 

 No one can comprehend the story of the wings unless 

 they have seen them develop. 



At twelve o'clock and five minutes, they measured 



358 



