AN ABERRATION OF ACTIAS LUNA

Extract

My friends have not always forgotten me, but have occasionally sent me live Saturnian chrysalids, spun up no doubt with the intention of the insect to emerge in America. Instead, the poor deluded creatures appeared as months in my German room, allowing me to deceive myself for the moment that in my German room, allowing me to deceive myself for the moment that I was at home. Cynthia, promethea, cecropia, polyphemus, io and even imperialis, came out as in America. The only difficulty I had was with my few cocoons of luna, the moths in some cases failing to expand their wings. But, if my memory does not fail, this accident happens also more especially with luna in the breeding cage at home. Amont the examples which emerged here is one small male, expanding 78 mil., which is the most curious example of the species I remember to have seen. The wings are almos prefectly expanded, a little unevenness of the costa of the right primary, which is somewhat concave, and a slight crumpling of the costal region of both secondaries, are traces of retarded development; the “tails” are fully out.