16 SUPPOSED CASES OF 



following objections *: " Even the most learned naturalist, often 

 without noticing it himself, comes to the false conclusion: I 

 have not observed this or that, therefore it has not taken place. 

 Herr Basler's moth, as the narrative itself shows, was not of 

 sufficient importance to him for exact observation, until he had 

 recognized it as a hermaphrodite, by the supposed wonderful 

 issue. But who is to give us security that a copulation and 

 fecundation did not previously take place? In all probability Herr 

 Easier only reared a single moth of this species, from which he 

 came to the conclusion that no copulation had been possible. 

 But how easily it may have happened that a copulation never- 

 theless took place without his knowledge, the following obser- 

 vations which I had the opportunity of making some years ago 

 upon thePhal. Quercus, Linn., may distinctly show. Of this moth, 

 I also had only a single caterpillar, which is figured by Rosel in 

 the first part of his Insect en- Belustigung f en, tab. 35, and obtained 

 from it a female moth. But as this came out of its cocoon just 

 in the evening, I allowed it to creep up to the top of a window 

 in my room, so that it might expand its wings properly, and as 

 it behaved quietly, I allowed it to remain there through the 

 night. The next day I perceived a male of this moth in the 

 corner of the room, at which I was greatly astonished, as I 

 knew with certainty that I had not had more than a single 

 caterpillar of this moth in my house. However, I had not to 

 wait very long for the solution of the riddle. For soon after- 

 wards, thinking I heard a tapping at the window 7 several times 

 repeated, and opening the window to discover the cause of it, 

 I soon perceived that several moths were flying about before it ; 

 and although, from their rapid flight, I did not at once recognize 

 them for what they w r ere, I concluded from their strong flight, 

 which they occasionally directed straight against the window 7 , that 

 they had something to seek there. I consequently did not allow 

 them to knock long in vain, but opened some windows for them, 

 upon which several males of this moth soon came into my room, 

 and quickly discovering the female endeavoured to copulate 

 with her. This history not only shows how strong is the scent of 

 the male moths of this species and how great is their copulative 



* Eeitr'dge zur Naturgeschickte der Insekten. Naturforscher, Stuck 20, 

 1784, p. 50. 



