11 6 THE TUSSEH SILKWORM MOTH. 



has furnished them with the greatest plenty of 

 proper food, viz. during the months of August, 

 September, and October. When the insect is pre* 

 pared to make its escape, and be changed to its per* 

 feet state, it discharges from its mouth a large quan- 

 tity of liquid, with which the upper end of the case 

 is so perfectly softened as to enable the moth to work 

 its way out in a very short space of time ; an opera- 

 tion which is always performed during the night. 



" The IMAGO. In their perfect state they are 

 wholly taken up in providing for a continuation oft 

 the species, and do not exist more than from six 

 to twelve days when confined ; how long they 

 may live when at liberty is hard to say, but I 

 imagine nearly the same as when restrained. 

 While in this state of perfection, they receive no 

 nourishment whatever, nor have they any mouth 

 or channel by which food can be received. When 

 the female is impregnated, she deposits her eggs on 

 the branches of the tree she may be resting on, to 

 which they adhere firmly by means of the gluten 

 they are covered with when newly laid. 



" The wings of the male expand five or six inches, 

 and those of the female from six to eight : the fol- 

 lowing part of the description applies to both : 



" The head scarcely projecting beyond the ante- 

 rior margin of the first pair of wings ; eyes large, of 

 a dark brown colour ; antennee pectinated ; of the 

 male oval, of the female lanceolate; palpi four,- 



