THE LIFE OF A MOTH 91 



While this process is going on the bulbs on the 

 shoulders are forming into wings. The change 

 commences near the body, and the pulpy mass is 

 gradually transformed into beautifully marked, 

 velvety wings. The process continues until the pulp 

 is but a marginal band on the wings, but this is still 

 capable of considerable extension before the thin 

 membranes are completed. Then the Promethea 

 poses and surveys a new and strange world, while 

 the newly-formed wings, four inches across, are 

 moved gently and timidly as if to make sure of 

 their existence. 



This large and beautiful Moth is the mature 

 female development of the great, thick Worm that 

 crawled about last summer and nibbled the leaves 

 of the Lilac. Then it feasted leisurely, a crawling 

 Worm. Now it is beautifully equipped for flight, 

 but can no longer cat, and its life mission will be 

 fulfilled perhaps within the coming night. This 

 Moth can scarcely be regarded as the Worm trans- 

 formed, for she excretes in fluid form all the vital, 

 internal organs of her larval existence. Before 

 lapsing into the inert pupa state she casts off, with 

 her outer covering, her legs and all external organs, 

 including even her head. There is a deepening of the 

 mystery of identity in this casting off of all the parts 

 of a previous existence. When the Promethea larva 

 decided to retire for the winter, she selected a con- 



