204 INSECT ARCHITECTURE. 



of the caterpillar of the water-betony moth ( Cu- 

 cullia scrophularm, Schrauk), which he permitted 

 to construct the greater part of its underground 

 building, and then dug it up and broke a portion off 

 from the end, leaving about a third part of the whole 

 to be rebuilt. Those who are unacquainted with the 

 instincts of insects might have supposed that, being 

 disturbed by the demolition of its walls, it would 

 have left off work; but the stimulus of providing for 

 the great change is so powerful, that scarcely any 

 disturbance will interrupt a caterpillar in this species 

 of labour. 



The little builder accordingly was not long in re- 

 commencmg its task for the purpose of repairing the 

 disorder, which it accomplished in about four hours. 

 At first it protruded its body almost entirely beyond 

 the breach which had been made, to reconnoitre the 

 exterior for building materials. Earth was put with- 

 in its reach, of the same kind as it had previously 

 used, and it was not long in selecting a grain adapted 

 to its purpose, which it fitted into the wall and secured 

 with silk. It first enlarged the outside of the wall 

 by the larger and coarser grains, and then selected 

 finer for the interior. But before it closed the aper- 

 ture, it collected a quantity of earth on the inside, 

 wove a pretty thick network tapestry of silk over the 

 part which remained open, and into the meshes of 

 this, by pushing and pressing, it thrust grains of 

 earth, securing them with silk till the whole was ren- 

 dered opaque ; and the further operations of the in- 

 sect could no longer be watched, except that it was 

 observed to keep in motion, finishing, no doubt, the 

 silken tapestry of the interior of its little chamber. 

 When it was completed M. Reaumur ascertained 

 that the portion of the structure which had been 

 built under his eye was equally thick and compact 

 with the other, which had been done under ground. 



