TIN EISA. 



!l. AH ;C IT IN A, Z,'Ih;-. 



Onieoditcs, Dnponckd. 

 Onieodidrc, Her rich -SchiiJJ'er. 

 Alncitida' pars, SlepJieris. 



yjiiteniKT sciaeccc. 



CorpiiH fjracile, Lrcvc, pi d tun. 



Ake lovge cUlnlce, sbigiihe nvxjinrtU'P. 



Jiileinup setaceous. Bodij sleiuhfr, short, v'ilh v/arhu/gs. J/'ii/r/s ir/th 

 loit// cilia, each diviitcd into si. v. 



The Tlneiua, \\iiich form the subject of this volume^ are an 

 extreinel_y interesting group in man}' respects. It has been the 

 remar'k of every writer, that the smaller the species the more splen- 

 did the colouring and the moi'e sharply-defined the markings; 

 but one of the greatest points of attraction to the study of this 

 grou]) is afforded bj the eiullcss variety in the habits of the spe- 

 cies. It is precisely among the smallest species that we. find the 

 characters of the families most strongly defi)icd; and whereas 

 among the larger species it is extremely difficult to arrange them 

 in families with good distinctive characters, in the smaller species 

 no such tlilficulty exists. 



The most generally known species of this group are those in- 

 clnded in tlie genus Tinea, which are commonly termed " clothes- 

 uioths;'^ these however give but a very faint idea of the whole 

 group, ^^•hich arc mostly vegetable-feeders, and, with some few 

 exceptions, do not c;uise us any great amount of injury; on the 

 other hand, from their small size and secluded mode of living, 

 their beauties are seldom displayed to any but those who collect 

 them. 



The larva- of many construct jjortable cases, of which that of 

 Tinea peUioncUa is but a too familiar instance, being found abun- 

 dantly in houses, on furs or coats that have been })ut away and 

 neglected. Some few hu'va) live entirely exposed, but more fre- 

 quently they shelter tlu-mselves between united leaves, or by 

 drawing together the terminal shoois of ])lanls, tlius betraying 

 themselves to the experienced eye, and being far easier found than 

 if the larva' were themselves (exposed to view; the great bulk of 

 the smaller families mine between the cuticles of leaves, and tin; 

 conse(|uent ease with which they may be detected is surprising. 



