THE TINEINA. IS I 



rancan in its habits, and may be collected in great quantities 

 in March and April. All the moths of the genus GclecJiia are 

 exceedingly quick and active in their movements ; at rest one 

 moment, the next they have flown away with extreme rapidity; 

 even without the use of their wings, they run away from the 

 unwary collector. Many species are seen freely on the wing, 

 arising in front, and settling a few paces in advance, and others 

 lead a retired life. Some are met A\ith in the perfect state 

 during a considerable time, and there are two broods in the 

 year of several kinds of the genus. Hybernation occurs but 

 rarely. The larvae, with sixteen legs, are generally active, and 

 when crawling often raise the head with a peculiar tremulous 

 movement. The greater number of them live in the buds and 

 shoots of plants, or between curled leaves; two species feed in 

 grass leaves rolled into a tubular form ; many mine in the leaves 

 of plants, and others eat inside the seeds and stems. The 

 Gclcchia of the Origanum mimics the habits of the Colcophoi'a. 



The caterpillars of the genus Gracillaria have only fourteen 

 legs, like those of LitJiocolletis, and one species undergoes a 

 total change of colour, from pale green to crimson, when about 

 to assume the pupa state. This Gracillaria oinissclla mines the 

 leaves of the Artemisia vulgaris, loosens large portions of the 

 lower cuticle, and causes them to assume a bladdery appearance. 

 All the larvaj of the genus are miners at first, and some remain 

 so always, whilst a icw discontinue this method of life, and 

 proceed to roll up leaves instead. Most of the rollers form 

 conical structures upon leaves ; and Gracillaria aurogitttclla, 

 which feeds upon the Hypericum perforatum, may be taken as an 

 example of a very elaborate cone maker. It commences by 

 mining a narrow strip, Avhich puckers the leaf longitudinally, 

 and then soon quits the mine and constructs its cone. The 

 cone is formed by turning the tip of the leaf downwards, and 

 so applying it to the under surface that the entire leaf is con- 

 verted into a hollow space, with the edges fitting neatly. The 

 form which the leaf then assumes is nearly that of a double cone 

 (the cones united at their bases), and in it the larva proceeds to 

 devour the under surface. When the interior of the cone is eaten 

 up the caterpillar moves off to another leaf, and thus many rolled 



