Moths that fly by day are not properly to be called moths; they do not excite that pleasant sense of dark autumn nights and ivy-blossom which the commonest yellow-underwing asleep in the shadow of the curtain never fails to rouse in us. They are hybrid creatures, neither gay like butterflies nor somber like their own species. Nevertheless the present specimen, with his narrow hay-colored wings, fringed with a tassel of the same color, seemed to be content with life.
-- Speaker

Importance: These are the first lines of the essay, and they are significant because they showcase the speaker's objective attitude that will continue throughout her observations of the moth. They also show, however, how the speaker is surprised by the moth and its ability to defy her presumptions about its significance. Instead, the moth is content to live and keep living, and the speaker is amazed by the moth's desire to preserve...