TAILORS 191 



case securely and changes to the chrysalis condition. 

 One cannot see what goes on behind these opaque 

 walls, but evidently it doubles on itself, in spite of 

 the straitness of its cell, for whereas the caterpillar 

 was head downwards, the chrysalis is head upwards. 

 A few weeks later it emerges as a moth from the 

 summit of its little tower. 



In a general way this may be said to be a state- 

 ment of the proceedings of all the numerous species 

 of Coleophora ; and yet when one comes to study 

 them as Sich has done, there are found to be 

 innumerable interesting differences of detail peculiar 

 to each species. Thus Coleophora discordella, which 

 feeds upon the bird's-foot trefoil {Lotus corniculatus), 

 enlarges its case by adding a mined-out leaflet of 

 the plant, and as at each successive enlargement it 

 uses a leaflet larger than the last, the case " forms 

 an almost perfect miniature cornucopia." In its last 

 stages of construction the caterpillar does not 

 trouble to nip off the two side leaflets of the leaf, 

 so these are added although not attached to the 

 case. 



Some of them live upon plants whose leaves or 

 leaflets are too small to have pieces cut out of 

 them : the caterpillar has to take all or none, and, 

 of course, it takes all. Thus C. saturatella feeds 

 on broom and employs a whole leaflet when enlarging 

 its case. " It spins its case to the leaflet, just 

 below the apex, and mines out sufficient to clear 

 the top of the leaflet. It then splits the leaflet 

 right down the centre, wedges its case in between 



