COTTON 183 



mature, seeks rest in the ground and passes the 

 winter there. 



I asked one who knows this insect well. 



"Not so," he answered me. "In fact, the in- 

 sect does not even enter the ground. Nor is the 

 winter passed in the caterpillar stage. The fact 

 is, an imperfect cocoon is made, usually within a 

 folded leaf. Here a nap is taken for a week or two, 

 sometimes even for four weeks. When its sleep is 

 finished, it is not a caterpillar that comes out, but 

 instead a flying moth, rather small in size and of 

 olive green or gray color. This moth is somewhat 

 shy of the day, usually hiding then, but with the 

 coming of the night it takes wings, seeking food, 

 and a nest for its eggs. From now on it is a more 

 active creature. It flies on and on, and seldom 

 returns to its home. In fact, it goes to the North, 

 going from its ancestors' Southern home, and leaves 

 its brood in a new land; these broods in turn, hav- 

 ing a like roving disposition, seek new lands also, 

 until the distance grows so large, it is quite im- 

 possible ever to reach the ancestral home again. 

 This moth wanders even as far to the northward as 

 Canada." 



The number of generations each season is large. 

 This is readily understood when we consider the 

 fact that in just a few days after leaving the pupa 

 state the moth begins its business of laying eggs. 

 Thus five, six, or even more generations may be 

 produced during a summer so quite naturally a 

 single individual can populate a territory of con- 

 siderable extent. 



Later generations of each season, drifting north- 

 ward, are damaged by cold, and seldom, if ever, sur- 

 vive the winter. Hence all generations born outside 

 of Southern climes are lost. New broods coming 



