A Good Natural History Morsel.
Vacation and moth-time come hand in hand the first week in July. The boys of the neighborhood come yelling from school to eat supper and go to bed to be up at six o'clock. At six o'clock around comes a man with a leather pouch filled with carbon sticks. One by one the boys, some on bicycles, some on foot, begin to follow him. Let us suppose we have joined the procession. We come to an electric light. As the light is let down the boys begin to jump up and down, yell, push, etc., to get first pick.
The man takes a fine brush and quickly cleans the globe. As the insects fall to the ground there is a general scramble. We are lucky enough to get a fine specimen of a Luna, and start for home to save us from getting mobbed. One of the most common of the large moths found in the globes is the Luna (Attacus luna). The spread of the wings is from three to four inches. The general color is a beautiful tint of green. The edges of the fore wings are brown, the streak crossing the body. There are four eye spots, one on each wing. A white furry body and light golden antennæ complete the colors of this beautiful, delicate moth.
Another of the beautiful moths is the Cecropia (Attacus cecropia). The general color is a beautiful brown, and the usual eye spots are prevalent. The Io (Saturnia Io) is a rival of the Luna in beauty. It is of a deep yellow with purplish-red markings and the usual eye spots. The Attacus Prometheus and Polyphemous moths are occasionally found in the globe. The most common victims are the Sphinx moths, who have a very long name, Macroscla quinquemaculata.
Albert W. Atwater, R.T.K.
Springfield, Mass.