MOTHS OF THE LIMBERLOST 



brought me, a female, was so especially large that I took 

 her to the Cabin to be measured, and found her to be six 

 and three quarter inches, and of the lightest yellow of any 

 specimen I have seen. Her wings were quite ragged. I 

 imagined she had finished laying her eggs, and was near- 

 ing the end of life, hence she was not so brilliant as a 

 newly emerged specimen. The moth proved this theory 

 correct by soon going out naturally. 



Choice could be made in all that plethora, and a male 

 and female of most perfect colouring and markings were 

 selected for my studies of a pair. One male was mounted 

 and a very large female on account of her size. That 

 completed my Imperialis records from eggs to cater- 

 pillars, pupae and moths. 



The necessity for a book on this subject, made simple 

 to the understanding, and attractive to the eye of the 

 masses, never was so deeply impressed upon me as in an 

 experience with Imperiahs. Molly-Cotton was attend- 

 ing a house-party, and her host had chartered a pavihon 

 at a city park for a summer night dance. At the close 

 of one of the numbers, over the heads of the laughing 

 crowd, there swept toward the light a large yellow moth. 



With one dexterous sweep the host caught it, and while 

 the dancers crowded around him with exclamations of 

 wonder and delight, he presented it to Molly-Cotton and 

 asked, "Do you know what it is?" 



She laughingly answered, "Yes. But you don't!" 



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