270 [May, , 



feeding the form of the case does not differ from that of those of other 

 Hydroptilidw. It is repeated that the case is carried on the sharp 

 angle, and composed only of Algce. Bremi applied to this remarkable 

 creature the provisional name of Hydroptila flahellifera. He nevei 

 reared the perfect insect, but a nymph supposed to have come out oi' 

 one of the cases, Hagen referred with doubt to Agraylea. According « 

 to Hagen the case of the larva is yellowish, transparent as if made out 

 of thin glue ; structure of the employed vegetable matter not visible. 

 Long., 3 mm. ; lat., 1 mm. ; oblong, widened in the middle, flat, open at 

 both ends. The principal point in connection with the larva is the 

 great length of the middle and posterior-legs. The nymph-case is dark 

 brown, less transparent ; long., 5 mm. ; lat., 1^ mm. ; flat, form exactly 

 as in larval case. At each of the four corners is fastened an appendage 

 (pilzartiger Anhang) with a short pedicel. It may be remarked, 

 that Bremi's words seem to imply that a difference exists between the 

 form of the case of the larva and that of the nymph, while Hagen says 

 explicitly there is none. 



Further information on HydropiUa flahellifera is given in 

 McLachlan's " Monographic Eevision of the European Trichopteray 

 That author, after referring to a note by Bremi in the " Mitth. uaturf. 

 Gesell. Ziirich,"* 1848, p. 62, and Hagen's account, proceeds to notice 

 larvae found by Dr. Barker (Quarterly Journal Micr. Science, new 

 ser., vol. vii,p. 175) and Eugene Guinard (Mem. Acad. Sci. Montpellier, 

 vol. ix, pp. 139 — 143), both of which he considers to have been the 

 same as Bremi's. It appears that M. Gruinard actually bred the insect 

 (which he named Leiocliiton Fagesii) ; but as he is not an Entomologist, 

 his published description and figures do not sufiice for identification. 



It was on the 3rd and 5th of JN'ovember last that I received, 

 through the kindness of Mr.McLachlan, two cases with larvae, forwarded 

 to him by Mr. Bolton of Birmingham, which in the main points agreed 

 with Hagen's description. Interesting in themselves, they possessed 

 a double interest, since, though they had been known so long (assuming 

 all the above citations and the cases I had before me to belong to one 

 and the same species), they had always evaded satisfactory elucidation. 

 They were delicate looking things, and my hopes of being able to rear 

 the insects were not great. The wished-for result came about at a 

 most unlikely time. About Christmas, I was surprised to see signs of 

 a change. The semi-transparency of the case allowed one to get some 

 idea of what was going on within, and in a few days it was evident the 

 nymph stage had been reached. Now, out of more than a dozen species 



* " Bern " is an error in ni5' original citation.— R. McL. 



