The Banded Monk 



his cocoon, which might easily be confused 

 with that of the Oak Bombyx. I am deceived 

 at first by the resemblance. Out of six co- 

 coons, from which I expected to obtain 

 Banded Monks, six females of the other spe- 

 cies hatch at the end of August. Well, 

 around those six females, born in my house, 

 never a male appears, though there is no 

 doubt that the tufted ones are present in the 

 neighbourhood. 



If spreading feathered antennae are really 

 organs for receiving information at a distance, 

 why are not my richly-horned neighbours in- 

 formed of what is happening in my study? 

 Why do their fine plumes leave them indiffer- 

 ent to events that would bring the Banded 

 Monk hastening up in crowds? Once more, 

 the organ does not determine the aptitude. 

 This one is gifted and that one is not, despite 

 organic similarity. 



299 



