From four and a half to five inches is the average size.
There was something the matter with this moth. Not a scale of down
seemed to be missing, but it was torpid and would not fly.
Possibly it had been stung by some parasite before taking flight
at all, for it was very fresh. I just had returned from a trip
north, and there were some large pieces of birch bark lying on the
table on which the moth had been placed. It climbed on one of
these, and clung there, so I set up the bark, and made a time
exposure. It felt so badly it did not even close them when I took
a brush and spread its wings full width. Soon after it became
motionless. I had begun photographing moths recently; it was
one of my very first, and no thought of using it for natural
history purposes occurred at the time. I merely made what I
considered a beautiful likeness, and this was so appreciated
whenever shown, that I went further and painted it in water
colours.
Since moth pictures have accumulated, and moth history has
engrossed me with its intense interest, I have been very careful
in making studies to give each one its proper environment when
placing it before my camera.
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