74 CATERPILLARS AND THEIR MOTHS 



were yellow, while the abdomen was like the thorax at 

 its base, where it joined the thorax, but black else- 

 where except the last two segments, which were clear 

 yellow, as was the under side of the thorax. The legs 

 were black. 



The next day more emerged, and we killed a few 

 with scales and without, to photograph, but we could 

 not get one with all the scales on because the least 

 breath or touch detached them. Still our photograph 

 gives an idea of the newly emerged moths as well as 

 of those which have flown. 



Finding that the moths emerged so early in the sea- 

 son, we planned to have a second brood, so put several 

 in a cage, giving them flowers and drops of honey to 

 feed on. There was no feeding, however, and finally 

 it occurred to One of Us that the moths usually fed in 

 the bright sunlight, so she moved the box into a sunny 

 place, leaving one end in shade to give coolness if de- 

 sired. In less than five minutes the moths were feed- 

 ing, and in a short time two mated. 



In four days the female d'lffinis laid two hundred 

 and eight eggs, then died. The male had been set 

 free after mating. Seven days later the first eggs 

 hatched, giving little caterpillars about an eighth of an 

 inch long, pale yellow in color, with a white collar, or 

 transverse raised band, on the first segment, and 

 short, colorless hairs, or setse, all over. The caudal 

 horn was yellow, then turned gray, then black. 



These little caterpillars paid no attention to their 

 shells, but went to the leaves and began eating at 

 once. They drank eagerly. Three days later they 

 molted, coming out a quarter of an inch long, green 



