SARTOR INSECTORUM. 



403 



over these siieciineus, and 

 have seen nothmg that 

 can fairly be called by 

 that name — at least ac- 

 cording to our ideas of 

 such work. I think I 

 should speak of the bas- 

 ket-worm's labor as past- 

 ing rather than sewing. 

 Nor do I see anything 

 different in these nests of 

 spiders, leaf-rolling cater- 

 pillars and cutting bees." 



"That is true," I re- 

 plied, "if we concede 

 that sewing requires the 

 use of a needle or needle- 

 like implement. Our in- 

 sects do not sew their 

 nests together in the sense 

 or fashion of the tailor- 

 bird or fan-tailed warbler, 

 for example. But sup- 

 pose we defme sewing as 

 the art of making an 

 artificial covering for the 

 body, then the basket- 

 worm is a true insect 

 tailor, is it not ? 



" Or, again, suppose we 



