White Wings

One night last week as people began emerging from New York theatres there swept upon the city on the tail of a north-west wind hundreds of thousands of pristine white moths. They clustered in shop windows, in pedestrians' ears, started a report that snow was falling. They blinded motorists, delayed traffic. In dance halls they got between the cheeks of dancers. In dark taxicabs they caused many a false accusation. At Bellevue Hospital internes with folded newspapers beat them away from alcoholics who might have mistaken them for seagulls. Thousands perished on freshly painted lamp posts. Police were called, were sympathetic but impotent. The moths had already put the police wireless out of commission.

Next day newshawks got busy, interviewed entomologists. These moths would not eat clothes, said the experts, neither would they harm penthouse gardens.

The newshawks dug into old files, discovered that this was New York's fourth moth invasion. Previous ones: 1862,1908, 1909. The Times, quoting from its own contemporary account, said: "On July 16, 1908, the insects descended upon an amazed city, frightening dowagers and amazing infants. ... A 3-year-old boy became excited and fell from a window to his death. . . . Their habitat straightway became coatsleeves, hair, beards, wilting collars, brightly lighted hotels and soups and salads of French phraseology and price."

New York's moths were snow-white linden moths (Ennomos subsignarius) of the measuring-worm or elm-span family (Geometridae). In the caterpillar stage they live on leaves, preferably elm and linden, and also like lettuce salad. Having but two pairs of prolegs. the worms push themselves with their hind legs until they are humped like a croquet wicket, then slide their front ends forward. Grown fat, they spin a thread, slide down it to the ground, snooze under fallen leaves. Early in July the moth emerges, seeks company, goes off whichever way the wind is blowing. Last week's wind blew from northern New York. Linden moths die in four or five days, as did New York's last week.

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