INSECTS: THEIR EARS AND EYES 19E- _ 



scales that overlap each other. The main stem of the 

 feather that is, the primary rod or axis is somewhat 

 sparsely clothed with scales of another kind, thin, oblong, 

 flat plates, notched at the end, and very slightly attached 

 by means of a minute stem at the base the common cloth- 

 ing-scales of the Lepidoptera specimens of which we have 

 before examined. 



We may acquire some glimpse of a notion why this 

 remarkable development of antennae is bestowed upon the 

 male sex of this moth by an acquaintance with its habits. 

 It has been long a practice with entomologists, when they 

 have reared a female moth from the chrysalis, to avail 

 themselves of the instincts of the species to capture the 

 male. This sex has an extraordinary power of discover- 

 ing the female at immense distances, and though perfectly 

 concealed; and will crowd toward her from all quarters, 

 entering into houses, beating at windows, and even de- 

 scending chimneys, to come at the dear object of their 

 solicitude. Collectors call this mode of procuring the 

 male "sembling," that is, "assembling," because the in- 

 sects of this sex assemble at one point. It cannot be prac- 

 ticed with all insects, nor even with all moths; those of 

 this family, Bombycidce, are in general available; and 

 of these, none is more celebrated for the habit than the 

 Oak Egger. The very individual whose antenna has fur- 

 nished us with this observation was taken in this way; for 

 having bred a female of this species the evening before 

 last, I put her into a basket in my parlor. One male, the 

 same evening, came dashing into the kitchen; but yester- 

 day, soon after noon, in the hot sunshine of August, no 

 fewer than four more males came rapidly in succession 

 to the parlor window, which was a little open, and, after 



r-SCIENCE 9 



