1001.] 135 



two or three could often be picked up :it once between the thumb and 

 tinger. They were of various sizes, some that of very small males, 

 others of very large females (supposing them to be full grown). 

 There were also younger cases, and these were of a somewhat different 

 character. The adult case generally has a flat grass or carex blade 

 (or several) on each side brought together at the narrow end so that 

 that end finishes by a flat edge instead of a dome or point. These 

 younger cases, about half the length of the larger ones, were without 

 flat grass blades, proportionately thicker, round, and terminating 

 rather rapidly in a pointed end; they were clothed with small material 

 somewhat roughly jjut on, standing out a little, so as to contrast with 

 the smooth grass blades of the finished cases. 



The food of these seemed to be largely not the green growing 

 herbage, but the damp, half rotten, dead, brown matei'ial that thickly 

 covered the ground and was derived from the [jlants of previous years; 

 in the first stage, in fact, of change to humus or peat. Several times 

 the young half-grown larvae with the rough cases were found, often 

 several together, eating into and forming cavities in portions of old 

 weathered cowdung. that consisted of shiwly decaying vegetable fibre, 

 much like the peaty stuff covering the ground, and that had long lost 

 all its primary aspect of mammalian excrement. I came to the con- 

 clusion that these creatures must emerge early in the year. What 

 would be early at some 0000 ft. elevation I do not know, but I was 

 somewliat surprised at being unable to meet with any of the empty 

 sacs and pupa cases left by the moths that could not have come out 

 very long before our date. In captivity the larvfe were very promis- 

 cuous feeders, eating many varieties of plants ; the flowers of Lotus 

 corniculahis seemed to please them most. A number of them died, 

 and T have not much hope of seeing many emergences next spring. 



Several larvse of MeJaalna eiliaris were taken in the neuthal,tvvo 

 of which were found eating the leaves and stems of the little black 

 scented Orchis (JVir/rifrlJn anr/usfifolini'), and they ate this voraciously 

 in captivity. 



A larva of an Eriocrania was met with in the leaves of Alnns 

 iiicana, and was especially abundant along the pathway bordering 

 the lake at St. Moritz. I suspect it may be one of our birch species 

 varying its food-plant, but the point is interesting. 



Mlero-Lejiidoptera were not vigorously pursued, nor am I ver}' 

 sure of their names. We were rather interested in a black Tinen with 

 yellow head, that proves to be Tinea Rosenhergerell a , that we found 

 running actively about the bark and dead wood of a large pine tree 



