i:()i,r,opiioi!.\. 20i) 



llic lliird joint pointed. "WiiiLTs elongate, lanfcolatr, with loni>- cilia. 

 In the anterior wings tlic sul)co.-stal xcin is obsolete towards llu; hase ; 

 from the discoidal cell three veins run to the, costa, one to the; apex, 

 and three to the hinder margin; the sni)dorsal vein has a long i'oik. 

 In the posterior wings the liireate apical vein terminates above and be- 

 low the apex; the discoidal vein is simj)le ; the median billd. The 

 larva a case-bearer, changing to a pupa wllhin Ihc caac. 



The species of this genus are rather numerous, no h.'ss than 

 forty-one pjritisli being already known, and many others oe(;ur ou 

 the continent. The perfect insects of some species may be t'ouiid 

 connnonly on palings and trunks of trees, but the greater part 

 lead a very retired life, and are rarely seen; ilu; tree-feeding spe- 

 cies may be observed in windy weather. Hying on the lec-sidc of 

 the trees, endeavouring to resume their position on the branclu^s, 

 from which the agitation of the foliage had dislodged them; the 

 other species are rarely met with on the wing, and lly only for short 

 distances if accidentally started from their retreats. 8oine of the 

 species are of brilliant metallic colours, others of a uniform brown 

 or ochreous, but the greater part are distinguished by ])ale longi- 

 tudinal streaks upon a dark ground. The larv;e are esi)eeially 

 distinguished by their cases and their mode of feeding. 'J'lie 

 cases are constructed either entii'ely of silk, or of two cuticles of 

 a mined leaf fastened together and lined with silk ; the form of 

 the case is extremely varied, and is fre([uently of service; to dis- 

 tinguish closely-allied species. The very young larvie are in 

 most instances miners till they have mined a sullicient portion ol' 

 leaf to furnish them with a case; they then cut out their case, 

 and attach it to the underside of the leaf, wdien they make a cir- 

 cular hole in the lower cuticle of the leaf, and proceed to devour 

 the parenchyma, gradually insei'ting a larger portion of their 

 body into the leaf as they consume the parenchyma near the en- 

 trance-hole, and have to reach further: thus tlu-y not nnfre(|neiuly 

 may be found quite out of the case, and wholly within the h'af ; 

 this always happens when they ai'c preparing to make a fn'sh case; 

 then they eat in one continuous direction tdl tli(>y have excavated 

 a suilicient portion, which they sew together and cut out, leaving 

 the old case attached to the leaf. The ndned places are fre(piently 

 very conspicuous, being whitish or brown, and ///(' ro/n/i/ Imlc in 

 the cuticle of I he Av//" sutliciently shows it to be; tlu; \\^^\\< of a 

 Coleophora larva, even though the larva be not there, 'i'he larvae 

 of some of the species feed on seeds, attaching the case to the 

 outsitle, aiul boring in. All the species appear to remain a long 

 time in the larva slate (some as nnicli as nine moid lis), ami to be 

 in that state during the w'inter mtJiiths. 



VOL. ui. 2 E 



