242 THE entomologist's record. 



and finally died. Did they want periodic watering or the proximity 

 of water twice a day as they would in nature with the advent of the 

 tide ? was the question which arose in my mind. I did not succeed in 

 breeding one, nor did I have any better success with the 1905 larvre 

 which I kept out of doors from the time of obtaining them. Not one 

 survived the winter. 



On October 25th, 1904, I had the pleasure of seeing a larva enlarge 

 its case, and a most remarkable process it was. It was my custom to 

 have a few larvfe of each species under very frequent observation, even 

 cari'ying them with me to my daily duties. About 11 p.m. I was 

 giving a final glance at my larvix' for the night, when I found a case 

 fixed longitudinally on a stem ot the food plant, with an irregular 

 slightly zigzag slit extending •& the length of the case from the anal 

 end. The fore end of the slit was partly filled with loose threads of^ 

 silk, either remnants of the ruptured inner silk lining of the case, or 

 the commencement of the new gusset. The larva had its head and 

 about A of its body inside the case and was with its mouth fastening 

 threads across the gap and near the anal extremity. The remaining f 

 of its body was protruding from the case as a kind of Avedge about 

 half way down the slit in the tube, and lying obliquely towards the 

 fore end. The body was gripped by the edges of the slit and 

 apparently well gripped as it was more bloated and swollen than the 

 rest of the body observable in the tube. After a number of threads 

 were placed in position in the anal part of the fissure (for about J of 

 the tube) obviously to regulate the new diameter of the case and to 

 prevent the too wide yawning of the sides, the larva turned its head 

 and that portion (i) of its body within the tube, in the direction of the 

 mouth opening. Then with difficulty and after considerable eftbrt it 

 dragged the hanging out (f) portion of its body into the case, which 

 slightly closed as the " wedge" was withdrawn. Now the larva lay 

 in its normal position. Not long, however, did it rest. In a second 

 or two I had the further pleasure of seeing it reverse its position, 

 doubling back its very flexible body, both ends moving at about an 

 equal rate, until its head was towards the anal end and the tail towai'ds 

 the mouth end. Then the process of closing up the gap went rapidly 

 on and by midnight scarcely a trace of the larva could be seen through 

 the rapidly growing layer of gray, not white, silk. In the morning the 

 larva had moved and was feeding merrily in its enlarged residence, 



I noted that the larviT) I obtained in 1905 aflixed themselves in late 

 autumn on the sides of the flower pot, on dead stems or on dried heads 

 of the food plant, and did not subsequently move. None were bred, 



COLEOPHOKA ARTEMISIELLA, 



The larvre of this species were found in large numbers on every 

 plant of Artemisia maritima on the seawalls near Fobbing, on Septem- 

 ber 11th, 1904. They feed on the flowers, stems, loaves, and seeds, 

 and in confinement arc one of the most uneasy and restless species 

 I know. The cases are mealy, very soft, and delicate looking, and 

 appear much like small portions of the growing, healthy plant. 

 They are longitudinally striped with darker, less mealy stripes, so that 

 the surface is about equally divided between the mealy stripes and the 

 non-mealy inter-stripcs. Although I have watched for weeks, I have 

 never yet been able to see. the larva of this species enlarge its case, 



