CADDIS-FLIES. 65 



close together and thrust straight in front of the insect,, 

 whilst the wings are closely folded around the body. 

 When in this position the creature much resembles a 

 small stick, but if it be too closely approached it dashes 

 with amazing rapidity into the water, floats down the 

 stream for a considerable distance, and eventually seizes 

 hold of some similar twig at the water's edge, where it 

 reposes as before. These peculiar habits are no doubt 

 protective, and certainly render both the detection and 

 capture of the insect a most difficult matter. Its move- 

 ments are, in fact, of such a sudden and bewildering 

 nature, that the collector is often taken by surprise and 

 loses his quest. The periodical submersions which this 

 caddis-fly undergoes do not appear in any way to harm 

 it, as the water runs off its hairy wings and back 

 immediately it reappears above the surface. 



Genus OLINGA, McLachlan (1894). 



"Instead of Olinx (1870), which is preoccupied. 



"Antennae slightly shorter than the wings, stout, the basal joint very- 

 long and thick, fringed beneath with long and strong hairs ; vertex small, 

 with very long hairs at the sides, turned upwards ; maxillary palpi apparently 

 2-jointed, curved over the face, short and subcylindrical ; labial palpi long. 

 Prothorax hidden, meso- and meta-thorax scarcely hairy, shining ; the 

 former long, narrowed posteriorly, with a broad concave space in the middle 

 above ; the metathorax is much narrower, also with a concave median 

 space, in the centre of the posterior portion of which is a triangular meta- 

 scutellum. Legs moderately long and slender, pubescent, the tibise with 

 stronger and spine-like hairs, spurs 2.2.4, furnished with spine-like 

 adpressed hairs similar to those on the tibia, the two pairs on the posterior 

 tibiae very long and near together ; tarsi long. Anterior wings narrow at the 

 base, the apex widely dilated, the apical margin oblique ; neuration indistinct, 

 sub-costa straight, the radius parallel, the two branches of the sector ending 

 in long forks, which are connected by a transverse nervule, the whole 

 membrane thickly coated with scales above. Posterior wings shorter, 

 obtusely rounded at the apex, broad, the dorsal margin with a long fringe 

 near the base, the membrane with procumbent hairs. Abdomen short and 

 slender ; a forked lobe proceeds from the middle of the last segment above ; 

 the penultimate segment is furnished beneath with a broad and obtuse lobe, 

 extending beyond the apex in the male. 

 "Distribution. — New Zealand " (Hutton). 



OLINGA FEREDAYI. 



Olinx feredayi, McLachlan, Journ. Linn. Soc, vol. 10 r 

 p. 198, pi. 2, fig. 2 (1870). 



(Plate IX., fig. 1 $ , 2 ? , 3 larva withdrawn from its case,. 

 4 larva in its case ; figs. 3 and 4 are magnified.) 



This insect has occurred abundantlv at AVellington,. 



6 



