proud] study of moths FROM LIVING SPECIMENS 289 



be. It was interesting to watch how it threw its head from side 

 to side, weaving rhN-thmically back and forth. The first layer 

 of silk was so thin that one could see plainl\' through it. When 

 the cocoon was finished, it was a lustrous silky brown. I kept 

 the cocoon over winter and was careful to moisten it occasionally, 

 for I had learned through sad experience that I must create 

 conditions as nearly like those of nature as possible. 



Late in the spring I -vs-itnessed for the first time the birth and 

 development of a moth. The newly-emerged moth was wet and 

 soggy-looking, w4th vi\^d coloring. Its head and body were of 

 natural size, but its wings were only little stimips about the size 

 of one's small finger nail. I was bitterly disappointed about 

 the wings, for I thought the moth had emerged too soon. It was 

 as weak as a new-bom baby as it climg to the cocoon. At inter\-als 

 it ejected a white milky fluid, useful in softening the cocoon. 

 After obsen-ing it for a few moments, I thought the wings appeared 

 to be getting larger. I could not believe my own eyes, so I called 

 Mother. We stood there and watched those lovely wings grow 

 and grow until they measured fully five inches from tip to tip. 

 Of all the wonders that nature performs, I think this is one of the 

 greatest. It appealed strongly to every one of the many children 

 who accompanied me on my field trips and hunted new specimens 

 for me. They could not realize that a beautiftil large moth had 

 been sheltered all winter in an insignificant httle gray cocoon. 

 Grown-ups as well as children became much interested, and many 

 fine specimens were sent to me by people who had seen my collec- 

 tion. Cecropias are very common near my home. I find the 

 cocoons and lar\-a on alder bushes, especially near houses. Cecro- 

 pia seems to be very fond of htiman society 



I had learned to know a great many night moths before I ever 

 became acquainted with any day moths. I had always associated 

 moths with the night time. But I had an interesting experience 

 that taught me the truth. One morning about eleven o'clock, 

 I was in a clover field observing the different kinds of butterflies. 

 They were slow in coming that morning, so I turned my attention 

 to the bimiblebees. I sighted an unusually large one busilv en- 

 gaged in breakfasting from a pink clover blossom. As I came 

 nearer, I discovered that this was not a bumblebee at all, but some- 

 thing entirely new to me. It was a beautiful and graceful insect. 

 Its body was green and velvety and its head was deep red. Its 



