MOTHS OF THE LIMBERLOST 



The place was almost "virgin," much of it impassable 

 and fully half of it was under water that lay in deep, 

 murky pools throughout summer. In the heat of late June 

 everything was steaming; insect hfe of all kinds was 

 swarming; not far away I could hear sounds of trouble 

 between the crow and hawk tribes; and overhead a pair 

 of black vultures, whose young lay in a big stump in 

 the interior, were 

 searching for signs 

 of food. If ever 

 there was a "like- 

 ly" place for speci- 

 mens it was here; 

 Raymond was an 

 expert at locating 

 them, and fearless 

 to foolhardiness. 

 He had been gone 

 only a short time 

 when I heard a cry, and I knew it must mean something, 

 in his opinion, of more importance than blackbirds. 



I answered "Coming," and hastily winding the long 

 hose, I started in the direction Raymond had taken, 

 calKng occasionally to make sure I was going the right 

 way. When I found him, the boy was standing beside 

 a stout weed, hat in hand, intently watching something. 

 As I leaned forward I saw that it was a Hyperchiria lo 



215 



SPINNING, CAST SKIN, AND PUPA CASE OF lO 



