I am very sorry."
So was I. Sorry enough to have cried, but I tried my best to
conceal it. Anyway, it might be Io, and I had that. On going
inside to examine the moth, I found a large female Eacles
Imperialis, with not a scale of down misplaced. Even by gas light
I could see that the yellow of the living moth was a warm canary
colour, and the lavender of the mounted specimen closer heliotrope
on the living, for there were pinkish tints that had faded from the
pinned moth.
She was heavy with eggs, and made no attempt to fly, so I closed
the box and left her until the lights were out, and then removed the
lid. Every opening was tightly screened, and as she had mated, I did
not think she would fly. I hoped in the freedom of the Cabin she
would not break her wings, and ruin herself for a study.
There was much comfort in the thought that I could secure her
likeness; her eggs would be fertile, and I could raise a brood
the coming season, in which would be both male and female. When
life was over I could add her to my specimen case, for these are
of the moths that do not eat, and live only a few days after
depositing their eggs.
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