OF WASHINGTON. 47 



one end completely closed by a solid mat of this silk. The man 

 ner of constructing the pockets or rolls is not uniform. In some 

 cases the incisions are made near the apex of the leaf and then only 

 the two basal cuts are made, the tip of the leaf being folded back, 

 thus making the terminal cuts unnecessary. Sometimes the 

 pocket is formed altogether on one side of the midrib. Mr. 

 Busck luckily observed the formation of one of the pockets and 

 thus describes the process : 



" When supplied with fresh leaves the insect at once com 

 menced making a new house, cutting with its mandibles incisions 

 from the edge of the leaf; then, grasping the thus movable 

 edges each with the three legs on each side and forcing 

 them together, it spun what was apparently silk thread from the 

 mouth, fastening the edges together. The whole performance 

 did not take five minutes after it was begun. The insect accur 

 ately measured the proper places for the cuts by placing itself 

 on the leaf and realizing how much space was needed. This 

 being determined, the work went rapidly on." 



Within these pockets the nymphs live, coming out mostly at 

 night to feed on plant lice, which seem to form their entire food 

 supply during their early life. In confinement they will eat other 

 insects as Mr. Busck reports a specimen as eating at least one 

 young leaf hopper. In two days one I had under observation ate 

 a dozen large rose aphids, several willow lice and innumerable 

 smaller lice. It increased in length from four to five millimeters 

 in three days. Leaving the city at this point my interesting captive 

 was turned over to Mr. Banks who conscientiously fed and cared 

 for it until the 3Oth of May, when he unfortunately lost it while 

 attempting to transfer it from one jar to another. 



From notes myde by Mr. Banks this insect seems to be princi 

 pally a night prowler. It feeds mostly at night though it will nt 

 times feed quite readily during the day. The following notes are 

 taken for the most part from those made by Mr. Banks : 



There is apparently no choice in the kind of leaves used for 

 making the rolls. On May 26th it formed one in a honey-suckle 

 leaf. The exact manner of forming the roll, which was on only 

 one side of the midrib, was not noted. On May 27th, after dark, 

 when given some aphids from honey-suckle and maple, its feed 

 ing was observed by the light of a lamp. It seized an aphid, 

 bit it, turned it about by means of the palpi, and then proceeded 

 to eat it entirely up, skin and all. Then it walked nervously 

 around, palpi quivering, till it came close to another aphid, 

 which it seized by the back, sucked out the juices and then ate 

 the skin. Seven large aphids were thus eaten in a short time. 

 On May 29th another pocket was formed and the insect appeared 

 on that date to have grown considerably, showing indications of 



