212 THE IDYL OF THE SPLIT-BAMBOO 



to the weather outside; the moisture and the cold of 

 Winter will not work any injury but will keep the 

 cocoons and their contents from becoming too dry. 

 If they are not thus exposed, it is well to turn them 

 occasionally and sprinkle them lightly with water. 



When the weather becomes warm in Springtime 

 and the leaf-buds begin to appear, bring your cocoons 

 into a warm room, when the moths soon will begin 

 to emerge. If so situated as to be able to have a 

 -oom for rearing purposes, the moths may be allowed 

 to fly around free from confinement. If a male and 

 a female of the same species emerge at about the 

 same time, they usually will mate without any diffi- 

 culty. After the completion of this function the 

 male soon dies, and the female immediately begins 

 to deposit eggs. It lays several hundred in the 

 course of a few nights, and then dies too, neither 

 sex living more than a week or ten days. In case 

 a female or females alone should emerge from the 

 cocoon stage, a mate must be secured if the eggs are 

 to be fertile. This is done by exposing the female 

 out of doors, either in a screen-box with large inter- 

 stices or else by securing her by tying a length of 

 woolen yarn about her " waist," the other end of 

 this tether being made fast to prevent her escape. 

 The former method is preferable, as bats and birds 

 are fond of a tender moth. If you place the captive 

 moth outside the window, be sure that it is on the 

 side of the house opposite to the direction in which 



