CATERPILLARS. 145 



nettle and the white archangel {Lamiam album). It is of a 

 light dii-ty-green colour, spotted with black, and covered 

 with a few hairs. In its yoimg state it confines itself to 

 the bosom of a small leaf, near the insertion of the leaf- 

 stalk, partly bending the edges inwards, and covering in 

 the interval with a silken curtain. As this sort of covering 

 is not sufficient for concealment when the animal advances in 

 growth, it abandons the base of the leaf for the middle, 

 where it doubles up one side in a very secure and ingenious 

 manner. 



Nest of the Nettle-leaf-rolling Caterpillar. 



We have watched this little architect begin and finish 

 his tent upon a nettle in our study, the whole operation 

 taking more than half an hour. (J. E.) He began by 

 walking over the plant in all directions, examining the 

 leaves severall}^ as if to ascertain which was best fitted for 

 his purpose by being pliable, and bending with the weight 

 of his body. Having found one to his mind, he placed 

 himself along the mid-rib, to the edge of which he 

 secured himself firmly with the pro-legs of his tail ; then 

 stretching his head to the edge of the leaf, he fixed a 

 series of parallel cables between it and the mid-rib, with 

 another series crossing these at an acute angle. The 

 position in which he worked was most remarkable, for he 

 did not, as might have been suppos^, spin his cables 

 with his face to the leaf, but throwing himself on his 

 back, which was turned towards the leaf, he hung with 

 his whole weight by his first-made cables. This, by 

 drawing them into the form of a curve, shortened them, 

 and consequently pulled the edge of the leaf down towards 

 the mid-rib. The weight of his body was not, however, 

 the only power which he employed ; for, using the terminal 



