224 INSECT ARCHITECTURE. 



leaf is not surprising; for they are actually composed 

 of a piece of leaf; not, however, cut out from the 

 whole thiclaiess, but artfully separated from the 

 upper layer, as a person might separate one of the 

 leaves of paper from a sheet of pasteboard. 



A caterpillar's tent upon a leaf of the elm. a, n the part of the 

 leaf from which the tent has been cut out. 6, the tent itself. 



The tents of this class of caterpillars, which are 

 found on the elm, the alder, and other trees with ser- 

 rated leaves, are much in the shape of a minute 

 gold-fish. They are convex on the back, where the 

 indentations of the leaf out of which they have 

 been cut add to the resemblance, by appearuig like 

 the dorsal fins of the fish. By depriving one of those 

 caterpillars common on the hawthorn of its tent, 

 for the sake of experiment, we put it under the ne- 

 cessity of making another; for, as Phny remarks of 

 the clothes-moth, they will rather die of hunger than 

 feed unprotected. When we placed it on a fresh 

 hawthorn leaf, it repeatedly examined every part of 

 it, as if seeking for its lost tent, though, when this 

 was put in its way, it would not again enter it; but, 

 after some delay, commenced a new one.* 



For this purpose, it began to eat through one of 

 the two outer membranes which compose the leaf 

 and enclose the pulp {parenchyma)^ some of which, 

 also, it devoured, and then thnjst the hinder part 



* J. R. 



