Basket- Worms and House-Builders. 



49 



blown by) the pampero, the south-west wind that blows from the interior of 

 the pampas. 



Basket-Worms and House- Builders. 



Among the smaller species of moths there are some that in the caterpillar stage 

 hide themselves from public observation by constructing a moveable tent, somewhat 

 after the fashion of a caddis-worm. A well-known example of this kind of retreat 

 is furnished by the caterpillar of the clothes-moth, which snips out portions of 

 woollen or silken garments in our wardrobes and constructs a portable garment for 

 itself which harmonizes with its surroundings and helps to shield it from the vengeance 

 of the mistress of the robes. But the subjects of the present article are a quite 

 separate group of outdoor moths, whose caterpillars live in the ordinary fashion 

 upon fresh vegetable matter. In some respects their story is much more remarkable 

 than that of the clothes-moth, and it requires separate statement. 



Unfortunately the moths ^ have no popular name, but the caterpillars are known 

 in some places as basket-worms in reference to the cases in which they conceal 

 themselves. Our native species are all very small, but there is a Continental species 

 that is larger, and its histor\^ has been more fullv worked out. We will call it the 



Photo by] ^"- -^^"'"- ^■'^-''• 



The Clouded Yellow lU ih.kilv. 



Although specimens of this beautiful butterfly uiav be taken in Britain in most years, it is only at intervals that we get a season when 

 it is plentiful. This abvmdaiice is due to the fact that migrating swarms have reached us m spring from South Europe or North 

 Africa, and have laid their eggs in our fields of clover or lucerne. The photographs are one-fourth larger than life. 



'■ Psychidae. 



