18 Texas AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 
all of the individuals to reach maturity, the males and females are about 
equal in number. 
The first and the last emerging individuals of the brood are smaller 
in size than the average, regardless of the sex. The quality of the food 
has a great deal to do with the size of the adults. The last larve of the 
brood are always under-sized, but are most always able to pupate and 
reach maturity. Several matings have been made with odd-sized indi- 
viduals, such as large males and small females, and vice versa. The 
results of these matings indicate that those larvee which were forced into 
pupation prematurely may transform to functional adults. 
Mating and Oviposition. 
During the mating period. the males are more active than the females 
and at this time can be noticed “drumming” with their wings, the vibra- 
tions of which are, at times, sufficient to produce a low hum. 
The moths probably mate very soon after emergence, though no direct 
observations have been made upon this point. However, females only 
one and yne-half hours old were killed and their ovaries examined. It 
was found that, at this time, fully two-thirds of the eggs were of full size 
and well down in the oviducts, though not packed closely, as was found 
to he the case in the older moths. The eggs had the appearance of being 
ready for deposition. — 
Mating takes place at night, as would naturally be expected from the 
nocturnal habits of the species. In one cage a pair of moths was observed 
in coitu early in the morning, but this was no doubt an abnormal con- 
dition, as the female died in a short time. Another case was observed 
where the moths were in coitu from 7 p. m. till 10:30 p. m. The next 
morning no eggs had been deposited, but the following night the female 
began ovipositing. This was an exceptional case, as the female had been 
confined for a week after emergence before having the opportunity to 
mate. 
It would seem that the female commences to oviposit in a compara- 
tively short time after emergence. However, in the cages, an average 
of six days elapsed between the time of emergence and the first egg laying. 
This period varies with the different broods of the year. Oviposition 
usually takes place at night and the moths generally start laying the eggs 
soon after dark. In the cages they have been observed busily engaged in 
ovipositing as early as 7 p. m. While depositing eggs the female seems 
mindful only of the task she is performing and is not easily disturbed 
though she is active, seemingly nervous, darting in and around the comb. 
While thus engaged the antenne vibrate continuously and perhaps are 
used to locate suitable crevices in which to place the eggs. The ovi- 
positor is long, equal in length to the last two abdominal segments, and 
is very slender. It is constantly moving over the comb to detect a rough- 
ened spot wherein to deposit the egg. It thus has the appearance of being 
dragged after the female in her travels over the comb. . 
Having found a suitable place for the egg, the ovipositor is spread at 
the tip, the female braces herself as though pushing backward to force 
the ovipositor into the comb, and then, after a quick jerk of the abdomen 
an egg is forced down the ovipositor to its destination, In many instances 
females have been observed depositing their eggs at the rate of one every 
