MOTHS OF THE LIMBERLOST 



faction and astonishment. They were moths! Truly 

 moths, feeding in the brilliant sunshine all the day; 

 bearing a degree of light and heat I never had known 

 any other moth to endure. Talk about exquisite crea- 

 tures! These little day moths, not much larger than 

 the largest bumble bees, had some of their gaudiest 

 competitors of moonlight and darkness outdone. 



The head was small and pointed, with big eyes, a long 

 tongue, clubbed antennae, and a blood-red nose. The 

 thorax above was covered with long, silky, olive-green 

 hair; the top of the abdomen had half an inch band of 

 warm tan colour, then a quarter of an inch band of 

 velvety red wine, then a band nearer the olive of the 

 shoulders. The males had claspers covered with small 

 red-wine feathers tan tipped. The thorax was cream 

 coloured below and the under side of the abdomen 

 red wine crossed with cream coloured lines at each 

 segment. 



The front wings had the usual long, silky hairs. They 

 were of olive-green shading into red, at the base, the 

 costa was red, and an escalloped band of red bordered 

 them. The intervening space was transparent like 

 thinnest isinglass, and crossed with fine red veins. The 

 back wings were the same, only the hairs at the base were 

 lighter red, and the band at the edge deeper in colour. 



The head of the male seemed sharper, the shoulders 

 stronger olive, the wings more pointed at the apex, 



289 



