MOTHS OF THE LIMBERLOST 



The pupa is thickly coated with a sticky substance 

 that seems to serve the double purpose of facilitating 

 its exit from the caterpillar skin and to dry over it in a 

 glossy waterproof coating. At first the pupa is brownish 

 green and flattened, but as it dries it rapidly darkens in 

 colour and assumes the shape of a perfect specimen. 

 Concerning this stage of the evolution of a moth the doc- 

 tors disagree. One prominent writer has this to say: 

 "Investigations have shown that the organs of the moth 

 are not fully developed in the pupa until it is nearly time 

 for the moth to emerge, but the development is rapid 

 when it once begins." Then follow elaborate descrip- 

 tions of how the caterpillar organs break down and those 

 required by the moth build up. Holland writes: "The 

 pupa case contains within it the moth, as may easily be 

 ascertained by careful dissection made in the very earliest 

 period after the change has occurred, and which becomes 

 very evident at a later time when the period of the pupal 

 life is drawing to its close." The italics are mine. I 

 heartily agree with this. 



Scattered throughout this book there are many photo- 

 graphic studies of pupa cases, made almost without 

 exception as soon as the case had dried and taken shape. 

 Microscopic examination of these will show you, even 

 after the loss sustained by any print in reproduction is 

 allowed, that at the time the pupa case emerges from 

 the caterpillar skin, the exterior of the moth is perfectly 



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