301 



FAMILY PSYCHID^. 

 (Case Moths.) (Plate 37.) 



These are moths whose larvae live within silken 

 cases, either with pieces of stick, leaves, etc., at- 

 tached or just a more or less smooth case. In walk- 

 ing, the caterpillar has only the head and 3 pairs of 

 liorny legs without the case, and this part of the 

 body is consequently hardened, and is much darker 

 in colour than the rest of the body which is pro- 

 tected by the case. It drags the case along as it 

 Avalks. 



The method of constructing the case is worth ob- 

 serving. We reared some larvae of the large case 

 moth from the egg. At first they resembled tiny 

 black threads, but when they moved we saw that 

 each had a slender web attached to itself. The 

 spinning commenced at once, till a tiny bag was 

 made. This increased in size, but the larva worked 

 along the upper edge, much as one proceeds in 

 knitting a sock. The growth of the case keeps 

 pace vvdth the growth of the larva. The upper 

 edge is always loose, so that it can be attached to 

 any object. To strengthen the case, pieces of 

 sticks, leaves, pine needles, etc., may be woven in. 

 Everyone has noticed these case moths and the 

 wonderful arrangement of the ''sticks" or leaves. 

 The inside of the case is smooth and silky. If the 

 caterpillar be placed in a box with a glass lid, one 



