The Life History 
less than five seconds the puss-moth was 
crawling up the bark, in which act I took 
its photograph (Fig. 6). I have never 
before seen such a rapid emergence. I then 
swung the table round so as to bring the 
moth sideways, that the development of 
the wings could be seen and photographed. 
At first the wings are not more than 
half an inch long, with every scale and 
marking in miniature; but the moment that 
the moth had obtained a firm footing upon 
the bark, she gave 
her stumpy wings 
a preliminary shake 
previous to going 
through that most 
wonderful and mys- 
terious development. 
The wings first begin 
to swell out at the 
base (Fig. 7), the 
outer margin being 
arrested in develop- 
ment, though only for 
a few moments. 
Two minutes after 
emergence the wings 
ave much swollen out 
at the base and puffed 
out away from the 
body; gradually the 
under-wings gain on 
the upper and are 
spread out first, show- 
ing all the nerves full 
of yellowish fluid. 
Now the upper wings 
are filling out, looking 
like a half-hoisted 
mainsail gently flap- 
ping in the wind (Fig. 8). But there is 
no flapping of the moth’s wings yet; the 
movement 1s almost umperceptible, though, 
as we watch it, we see that the tip is 
eradually straightening out until both wings 
are fully expanded and stand upright back 
to back (Fig. 9). 
In this position the moth remains for 
about half an hour, or until the fluid has 
permeated to the extreme margin of the 
Wings; then, but not before, the wings are 
ug 
Fig. 10. Fully-deve 
loped 
of the Puss-Moth 97 
turned away from each other and quietly 
folded down over the body 
(Fig. 10), not moving until the dusk. of 
evening comes on and Nature intimates 
that the time for action arrived. 
First she slowly erects her antennm or 
feelers; next a very sheht shiver seems to 
run through the wines, which is increased 
to a decided vibration until the whole body 
and wines quiver with excitement; and at 
last the power and desire to fly become too 
great to and 
away she goes, rising 
somewhat heavily at 
first: but feeling her 
new power, she soon 
mounts over the tree- 
tops, where in all pro- 
bability she will meet 
with a partner, the 
following hours being 
spent in distributing 
two hundred 
eos over half that 
number of willows 
and sallow bushes, 
the moth seldom lay- 
ine more than two 
eggs upon one bush. 
3 the 
SCOplc OVivoroUs para- 
site mentioned, the 
puss-moth is fre- 
quently attacked by 
a large comb-footed 
Ichneumon fly, and 
though the caterpillar 
lashes out vigorously 
with its pink whips 
if is not always suc- 
cessful in driving off this parasite, which 
manages to take a firm hold with its comb- 
like claws; and the puss larva has to subnut 
to haying a number of eggs injected into 
its body, and to sustain the maggots hatching 
therefrom, until both have had enough and 
the caterpillar dies, while the parasitic mag- 
eots spin tough cocoons, sometimes within 
the cocoon which the caterpillar has just 
had strength enough to form before being 
overcome by weakness and death. 
roof - shape 
has 
resist, 
sole 
eooS 
Besides micro- 
, 
we 
ES 
Puss-Moth at rest. 
