36 THE AMERICAN SILK WORM. 
about the bushes, and though a virgin, she lays eggs which 
are, however, of no use for the propagation of the species ; 
she continues so doing for two or three hours, and then 
rests all night attached to some plant, probably waiting 
for her mate, who during this time has either remained 
motionless, or has been feeding on the sweet exudation of 
the oak Jeaf. Soon after the female moth has laid these 
useless eggs, the males become very active, and fly in 
search of their partners, whom they soon discover, espe- 
cially if there be a slight breeze and the air loaded with 
vapors. j 
The moth lays her eggs on the under side of the leaves, 
sometimes on a twig; generally but a single egg is de-- 
posited at one place, rarely are two or three found togeth- 
er, Ihave observed that eggs are sometimes laid upon 
plants which the young larvæ refuse to eat, and in several 
instances where there was no other plant within a long 
distance, and consequently the young worms died; thus 
it seems that instinct, like reason, sometimes commits 
blunders, and is not so infallible a guide as has been sup- 
posed. 
The incubation of the eggs lasts ten or twelve days, ac- 
cording to the temperature. The young worm eats its way 
through the shell of the egg; sometimes the young larva 
comes out of the egg tail foremost, as the hole in the shell 
is large enough to allow of the exit of the tail, but is not 
large enough for the head to pass through, so the worm is _ 
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condemned to die in the egg. As soon as it is fairly hatch- 
ed out, the larva continues for sometime eating the egg- 
shell, and then crawls upon a leaf, going to the end of it, 
where it rests fortwo or three hours, after which it begins 
to eat. The hatching-out takes place early in the morn- 
ing, from five till ten o'clock ; rarely after this time. 
