1 70 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [November, 



could be seen, by no gnawing or eating force, they finally suc- 

 ceeded in pushing through a very minute extremity. 



This soon began to fill and enlarge by distention from within, 

 as if the liquid contents were being forced into it from beneath 

 the surface. When far enough advanced above the surface a dis- 

 tinct wriggling motion could be perceived. Finally, when free 

 or nearly free, the process of spinning the cocoon began. 



Bending over siclewise until the head of the little white grub 

 touched the surface of its host, close to where the least fraction 

 of its body still remained fastened in the hole whence it had 

 emerged, the head begins to bob up and down, and from side to 

 side, with a ceaseless regularity. With the naked eye this is all 

 that can be seen, but under a glass enlarging four or five diame- 

 ters, a very fine web is seen extending from the mouth; soon a 

 fine open-meshed net begins to arise about the base and gradu- 

 ally increase in height. Each time the worm only touches the 

 edge of the structure, which does not wholly surround the body, 

 but reaches only a little more than half its circumference. Finally, 

 the meshes are brought up to the full height of the erect grub 

 and roofed in as high as it can reach 



The next step is not in all cases the same. Sometimes the open 

 side is closed down to near the middle of the body, but more 

 often the worm turns end for end, and begins industriously to 

 spin the white opaque cocoon from the bottom. This it does by 

 the same constant motion, bending to near the middle of the body 

 with each sweep of the head and carrying it to the full length of 

 extension. Soon the strokes grow shorter, the little creature is 

 wholly immeshed and it turns round and round, up and down, 

 changes ends again and again, until it can no longer be seen. 

 Finally, after the inner glazing has been applied, it at lasts ceases 

 its perpetual motion and passes into a well-earned sleep. 



The cocoon will now be found slightly attached to the surface 

 of the host by the loose meshes before described, and it may be 

 removed with very little force. 



Some variations from the above should be mentioned. Occa- 

 sionally a grub will begin to spin the open meshes about himself 

 by the time he has only half emerged into the outer world. The 

 two processes then go on simultaneously. Again, another will 

 not begin this work of spinning until wholly free from the hole 

 through which it has forced its way. In this case it sometimes 



