THE CORK MOTH. in; 



it can exist in utter darkness and perpetuate its 

 species from year to year in such a secret manner. 

 It is clear from the facts I have related that it 

 behoves all who possess valuable old wine to 

 examine it from time to time to see that the corks 

 are sound. A still safer plan would be to cut the 

 cork off close to the neck of the bottle and seal it 

 over, leaving no part of it exposed. Only in that 

 way, or by metal capsules, can old sweet wines be 

 rendered perfectly safe. I had been looking for- 

 ward to the possibility of finding this minute 

 creature in my cellar during the spring months, 

 and then learning a little more about its appear- 

 ance and habits, but this opportunity came sooner 

 than I expected. On the 2Oth of last December I 

 had occasion to go down to the wine-cellar with 

 a young friend who wished to search there for 

 various kinds of beetles, when, to my delight, I 

 caught sight of a minute moth upon the wall. I 

 could hardly believe that it was the cork moth, as 

 it usually hatches in April and May, but on close 

 inspection it proved to be the true Oinophila, and 

 great was the delight with which we secured the 

 little specimen. 



