m, 



May, 1886.] 269 



ON" THE CASE, &c., OF AQRAYLEA MULTIPUNCTATA, CURT. 

 (= HYDROPTILA FLABELLIFERA, BREMI). 



BY KENNETH J. MORTON. 



In the " Stettiner entomologisclie Zeitung" for 1864, will be found 

 a memoir by Dr. Hagen, entitled, " Ueber Phryganiden-Greliause." 

 The first portion of it especially, based in great part on the corres- 

 pondence of the author with Bremi, contains much valuable information 

 concerning the earlier conditions of the Triclioptera^ and several 

 problems of unusual interest relating to the life histories of these 

 insects are brought forward. That some of these problems have 

 remained unsolved to the present day, is due, I think, more to a lack 

 of observers than to the difficulties their solution presents, although 

 aquatic insects are necessarily less easy to deal with than others. 

 And on this subject of rearing I may here quote the following remarks 

 from Eaton's Monograph of Ephemeridcd : — " In the absence of 

 elaborate contrivances many JEpJiemeridce can be bred in captivity if 

 confined in flower-pot saucers, or other wide vessels containing little 

 water, duly protected from extremes of temperature. If the bottom 

 be glazed inside it should be thoroughly strewn over with sand or fine 

 river-gravel, that the insects need not die of fatigue in struggling to 

 maintain their footing upon it." These directions suit equally well 

 the Tricho'ptera. An increase in the number of vessels is preferable 

 to the adoption of large ones, since small vessels lend themselves 

 better to exactness of observation ; and in every case I recommend 

 the use of river-sand, a little of which put into the phials containing 

 minute species appears to give all that is required for the maintenance 

 ^of life. 



At page 115 of Dr. Hagen's paper, we find under Agraylea ? 

 Gehduse, a quotation from one of Bremi's letters, in which is described 

 the finding on water-plants during the summer, of some caddis-cases 

 similar to those which Pictet figures on pi. 20, fig. 10, of the 

 "Eecherches" {Hydroptila pulchricornis) , but differing therefrom on 

 .account of Confervce being made use of in their construction. Yery 

 sbroad and flat femora of the fore legs, and long, sharp, strongly bent 

 claws distinguish the larva, which, when in motion, carries the case 

 on the angle, and is able to put its head out at either end. "When the 

 larva passes into the nymph state, the case is said to be fixed at each 

 of the four corners by means of a stalked fan-like patella. A second 

 letter states that it is only when the larva changes that the case 

 assumes its characteristic oblong form, and that as long as the larva is 



