50 FAUNA OF MAYFIELD'S CAVE. 



In all the cases except one (No. 12) in which the moths were disturbed 

 they changed their positions so that the individuals could not be recog- 

 nized later. In one case (No. 2) th^ moth which had been moved so 

 that it headed toward the light turned from the light, but later moved 

 again and was lost sight of. In no case where the moth was left 

 undisturbed did it move during the winter. Two (Nos. 4 and 11) headed 

 toward the light and one (No. 3) at right angles to it were noted after 

 they had settled in the cave, and they remained unmoved until they left 

 the cave in the spring. It may be said by way of summary: Scoliop- 

 teryx libatrix when wintering in Mayfield's Cave usually takes up a 

 position with its head directly from the source of light. Some which 

 do not assume this position immediately upon entering the cave do so 

 within a few days; if, however, this position is not assumed within a 

 short time it is not taken at all. If undisturbed they do not change 

 their positions after becoming settled in the cave. If disturbed they 

 usually move and the movement in the only case actually observed was 

 directly from the source of light. 



A number of the moths were brought into the laboratory and kept 

 in a dark room into which some light was admitted by leaving the door 

 slightly ajar. November 11 three were confined in the dark room in a 

 broad glass dish partially covered, so that they could not escape. The 

 light which reached the moths consisted of rays directly from the door, 

 as the black walls reflected very little. A little water was kept in the 

 dish, so that the air was moist. They were active when left. 



Four weeks later they were found with their heads exactly from the 

 door. One of them fluttered a little at the light of a match held near it 

 outside the dish. The dish was turned so that they were headed toward 

 the light, only one of them having been disturbed. The next day there 

 was no change in their positions, except that one had crawled up the 

 side of the dish and was resting at about a right angle to the light. 

 On the second day, however, two were headed exactly from the light, 

 and the third, on the side of the dish, was headed at about an angle of 

 135° from the light. Three days later one was headed toward, one 

 from, and one at a right angle to the light. These three died, and 

 January 28 a number of others were brought in and kept in the same 

 manner. At first most of them seemed to react to the light and ' 'head' ' 

 from its direction, but after the dish was shifted a few times by turning 

 it around so that the light struck the moths from a different direction 

 they reacted less definitely and very little could be determined regarding 

 their light reactions. However, an average of all the observations made 

 showed that 57 per cent headed from the light, 28 per cent toward the 

 light, and about 15 per cent approximately at right angles to it. 



