46 
The moths emerge from the cocoons, as a rule, from 5 to 8 o’elock in 
themorning. Atthe latter hour many of them will be found coupled and 
clinging to the chains. These should be carefully taken by the wings 
and placed upon a table by themselves, the single moths being piaced 
upon another table where they will couple if the sexes are evenly divided. 
They should then be transferred to the first table as the fluttering of 
the male moths is apt to disturb the couples. These should be left 
together until 4 or 5 o’clock in the afternoon, when they may be sepa- 
rated by drawing them gently apart by the wings. The females should 
then be placed in the cells or upon the cloths already described, where 
they will at once commence their egg-laying, completing it in about 
thirty-six hours. Most of the males may then be thrown away, though 
it may be wise to keep a few of the more active ones to compensate for 
any superabundance of females in the issue of the following day. But 
little difficulty will be encountered in distinguishing the sexes, the males 
being noticeable by their smaller abdomens, more robust antenne, and 
by their greater activity. 
When the eggs have been laid, the microscopical examination of the 
moths should be made with a view to ascertaining whether or no they 
are afflicted with pébrine. The entire moth should be ground up with 
a few drops of distilled water* in a small glass mortar (1 ounce is a con- 
venient size). A drop of this water is then taken with a medicine drop- 
per and placed upon a glass slide with a cover glass over it. It is then 
microscopically examined with a power greater than three hundred 
diameters. Plate II shows a field very highly charged with the cor- 
puscles of pébrine. When the moths are not examined until some time 
has elapsed after their death, they will be found tio contain other germs 
peculiar to putrefaction. These do not indicate any disease that would 
affect the egg or its issue; nor does their presence imply any lack of 
vigor in the parents. They are simply post-mortem parasites. Great 
care should be taken in cleansing the mortar, pestle, and other imple- 
ments before making an examination, by washing them in an abund- 
ance of water and rinsing them thoroughly with distilled water. In 
making the above examination only the corpuscles of pébrine need be 
looked for. The bacilli and the ferments of flaccidity are rarely found 
in the moth. 
—— ee — : ed 
* The amount remaining in the mortar after rinsing is sufficient. 
