No dog mistakes the odour of a cat for that of
another dog. A cow does not follow the scent of horses to find
other cattle. No moth hunts a dragon-fly, a butterfly, or in my
experience, even a moth of another species in its search for a
mate. How male moths work the miracles I have seen them accomplish
in locating females, I cannot explain. As the result of acts we
see them perform, we credit some forms of life with much keener
scent than others, and many with having the power more highly
developed than people. The only standard by which we can determine
the effect that the odour of one insect, bird, or animal has upon
another is by the effect it has upon us. That a male moth can
smell a female a block away, against the wind, when I can detect
only a faint musky odour within a foot of her, I do not credit.
Primarily the business of moths is to meet, mate, and deposit
eggs that will produce more moths. This is all of life with those
that do not take food. That they add the completing touch and
most beautiful form of life to a few exquisite May and June nights
is their extra good fortune, not any part of the affair of living.
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