1228 The Zoologist— June, 18C8. 



fluids from the abdomen. In about twenty minutes the wings attain 

 their full size, but they are still like a piece of wet cloth, without con- 

 sistency and firmness, and as yet entirely unfit for flight, but after one 

 or two hours they become sufficiently stiff, assuming the beautiful form 

 characteristic of the species. If, while the wings are growing, they are 

 prevented from spreading by some agency they will be deformed lor 

 ever. Sometimes when the wings are developing the afflux of liquid 

 is so great that some parts of the wing swell up considerably, and if 

 one of these swellings be opened with a pin and the sac emptied a 

 singular phenomenon will result; the wing which has lost so much of 

 its fluids will be smaller than the others, and sometimes it will retaiu 

 the normal form of the wing, only being smaller, while the wound can 

 be detected only on very close observation. I have in my cabinet a 

 perfect specimen of such an insect: naturalists would regard it as a 

 monstrosity. The moth remains quiet all day, and sometimes all 

 night and the following day, if the night be cold ; but if it be warm 

 and pleasant, at dusk or about eight o'clock, a trembling of the wings 

 is observed for a few minutes, and then it takes its flight, making three 

 or four circles in the air. The male flies only a few minutes, and then 

 rests for two or three hours in the same place, not making any motion. 

 It is worthy of notice that the place of rest is always the extremity of 

 an oak-leaf. Why he remains there so long I could not ascertain. 

 The female continues to fly about the bushes, and though a virgin she 

 lays eggs, which arc, however, of no use for the propagation of the 

 species: she continues so doing for two or three hours, and then rests 

 all night attached to some plant, probably waiting for her mate, who 

 during this time has either remained motionless or has been feeding 

 on the sweet exudation of the oak-leaf. Soon after the female moth 

 has laid these useless eggs the males become very active, and fly in 

 search of their partners, whom they soon discover, especially if there 

 be a slight breeze and the air loaded with vapours. 



The moth lays her eggs on the under side of the leaves, sometimes 

 on a twig: generally but a single egg is deposited at one place, rarely 

 are two or three found together. I have observed that eggs are some- 

 limes laid upon plants which the young larvae refuse to eat, and in 

 several instances where there was no other plant within a long dis- 

 tance, and consequently the young worms died : thus it seems that 

 instinct, like reason, sometimes commits blunders, and is not so in- 

 fallible a guide as has been supposed. The incubation of the eggs 

 lasts ten or twelve days, according to the temperature. The young 



