186 Mr. A. G. Mayer 07i the 



depends solely upon scent in seeking the female, may be 

 performed as follows : — A female is wrapped in loose raw 

 cotton, so as to be invisible and yet allow a scent to emanate 

 from her. The males then fly to the cotton and, crawling all 

 over it, flutter their wings excitedly and grasp the cotton 

 repeatedly with their abdominal claspers. 



In another series of experiments, the females were enclosed 

 in a wooden box having a paper chimney rising from one end, 

 the other end being open and covered with mosquito-netting. 

 This box was so arranged that a current of air blew in 

 through the open end and out of the chimney. The females 

 were invisible from the outside, and yet any scent from them 

 would be carried up the chimney into the outer air. 



When the males were liberated they flew to the mouth of 

 the chimney and fluttered about in its neighbourhood. None 

 came to the large open end of the box, into which the air was 

 blowing. 



I then poured some CSj in a large, flat, evaporating-dish, 

 and placed it near the open end of the box, in such a manner 

 that the fumes passed uj) the chimney and mingled with the 

 scent from the female moths. The males, however, paid no 

 attention to the new odour, and still fluttered around the 

 chimney ; nor did they seem to be disturbed by the fumes of 

 ethyl mercaptan, which possesses a most nauseating and putrid 

 odour. Evidently the scent arising from the females is suffi- 

 cient to overpower the fumes of CSj or ethyl mercaptan, if, 

 indeed, the males have any perception of the latter odours. 



The entire abdomens of Ave females were cut off" and placed 

 upon a table, while the males were placed in a large 

 mosquito-net cage about 5 feet away. Two males were 

 liberated within Ave minutes of the time when the abdomens 

 were cut off". They both flew to the recently severed abdo- 

 mens and paid no attention to the abdomenless females in an 

 adjacent cage. 



I repeated this experiment many times, but in all subse- 

 quent trials the males paid no attention either to the severed 

 abdomens or to the mutilated females. So far as positive 

 results go, however, it appears that the scent which attracts 

 the males emanates from the abdomen of the females. 



When the eggs are cut out of the female she no longer 

 attracts the males, nor do the detached eggs attract them. 



Dead or dying females have no attraction, nor do the males 

 come to the empty cocoon from which a female has issued. 



When a female remains for some time in any place she 

 seems to impart an odour to the locality, for n)ales will 

 continue to come to it for about two hours alter she has left. 



