Rau—Longevity in Saturniid Moths. 33 
The two small lots of Lunas, one from St. Louis and 
the other from Pike Co., Mo., differ widely in the mean 
number of eggs carried, but the small number of the St. 
Louis lot may be attributed to the fact that they were 
bred in confinement, probably with insufficient or im- 
proper food. 
The material of §. californica is insufficient for com- 
parison, but shows the mean number of ova produced 
is 266. 
Among the Cynthias the New York 1912 lot shows the 
highest mean, 374, but this is for only 6 insects and is 
worth little in a comparative way, but the fact that these 
prolific females were all that emerged from about 300 
cocoons shows the survival of the most vigorous, and 
that the number of ova is in a way a criterion of vigor. 
We feel sure that further gathering of data on these 
species from the same localities at intervals of a few 
years, or for successive years, would show some inter- 
esting results. Cannot one detect the direction in which 
the changes are leading the species by a study of such 
important problems as fecundity or longevity from year 
to year, as well as by elaborate studies on some morpho- 
logical detail? 
COMPLETENESS OF OVIPOSITION. 
We have just discussed the number of eggs carried by 
these moths. We shall now take up in detail the ques- 
tion of complete or incomplete oviposition of these 
masses in relation to the mated or unmated condition of 
the individual. 
All or a considerable portion of the eggs are deposited 
during the life of the insect, regardless of whether or not 
mating occurs. We have ascertained the number of eggs 
deposited by each female, and found what per cent this 
is of the total number carried by her. The population 
was divided into two great classes, the mated and the 
unmated, and then tabulated according to the per cent 
