COTTON 
183 
mature, seeks rest in the ground and passes the 
winter there. 
I asked one who knows this insect well. 
"Not so," he answered me. "In fact, the in- 
sect does not even enter the ground. Nor is the 
winter passed in the caterpillar stage. The fact 
is, an imperfect cocoon is made, usually within a 
folded leaf. Here a nap is taken for a week or two, 
sometimes even for four weeks. When its sleep is 
finished, it is not a caterpillar that comes out, but 
instead a flying moth, rather small in size and of 
olive green or gray color. This moth is somewhat 
shy of the day, usually hiding then, but with the 
coming of the night it takes wings, seeking food, 
and a nest for its eggs. From now on it is a more 
active creature. It flies on and on, and seldom 
returns to its home. In fact, it goes to the North, 
going from its ancestors' Southern home, and leaves 
its brood in a new land; these broods in turn, hav- 
ing a like roving disposition, seek new lands also, 
until the distance grows so large, it is quite im- 
possible ever to reach the ancestral home again. 
This moth wanders even as far to the northward as 
Canada." 
The number of generations each season is large. 
This is readily understood when we consider the 
fact that in just a few days after leaving the pupa 
state the moth begins its business of laying eggs. 
Thus five, six, or even more generations may be 
produced during a summer — so quite naturally a 
single individual can populate a territory of con- 
siderable extent. 
Later generations of each season, drifting north- 
ward, are damaged by cold, and seldom, if ever, sur- 
vive the winter. Hence all generations born outside 
of Southern climes are lost. New broods coming 
