MINING-CATERPILLARS. 233 



An inquiring friend of Reaumur having found 

 one of these insects floating about in its mufF-tent 

 upon water, concluded that they fed upon aquatic 

 plants; but he was soon convinced that it had only 

 been blown down by an accident, which must fre- 

 quently happen, as willows so often hang over water. 

 May it not be, that the buoyant materials of the tent 

 were intended to furnish the httle inhabitant with a 

 life-boat, in which, when it chanced to be blown into 

 the water, it might sail safely ashore and regain its 

 native tree? 



Leaf-Mining Caterpillars. 



The process of mining between the two mem- 

 branes of a leaf is carried on to more extent by mi- 

 nute caterpillars allied to the tent-makers above 

 described. The tent-maker never deserts his house, 

 except when compelled, and therefore can only mine 

 to about half the length of his own body; but the 

 miners now to be considered make the mine itself 

 their dwelhng-place, and as they eat their way they 

 lengthen and enlarge their galleries. A few of 

 these mining caterpillars are the progeny of small 

 weevils (^Curculionidod), some of two-winged flies 

 (Diptera), but the greater number are produced from 

 a genus of minute moths ((Ecophora, Latr.) which, 

 when magnified, appear to be amongst the most 

 splendid and brilliant of nature's productions, vying 

 even with the humming birds and diamond beetles 

 of the tropics in the rich metallic colours which be- 

 spangle their wings. Well may Bonnet call them 

 *' tiny miracles of nature," and regret that they are 

 not en grand * 



There are few plants or trees whose leaves may not, 

 at some season of the year, be found mined by these 



* Bonnet, Contempl. de la Nature, Part xii. 

 VOL. IV. 20*= 



