" Of the other species I send you, one agrees in ahiiost every particular 

 with Brauer's description of the New Zealand genus Tetracentron, so that 

 I presume it will belong to that genus.- The larva lives in hollow sticks 

 of wood ; but, where the black Bentalium-Wke tubes abound, it sometimes 

 usurps the tubes of this latter species. The tubes described by Hagen 

 (Stett. Zeit., 1S64, p. -226, No. 23) as Leptocerus ? grumicha, Vallot, must 

 have been inhabited by strangers, for they were closed by stones, whereas 

 the legitimate owners make a circular corneous operculum, with a sub- 

 centi-al opening. Though these black tubes are extremely abundant in 

 some places, I have only a few ill-preserved insects, which I hope to replace 

 by better ones.f 



" There is another smaller species which also lives in the tubes 

 made by different Trichoptera, and which has the curious custom of 

 fixing to the mouths of the usurped cases sticks of wood. Even to 

 a practised eye it is often difficult to discover them among the irregular 

 stragghng sticks. I have not yet bred the insect of this species, but 

 judging from the structure of the larvse it must be nearly allied to 

 Tetracentivn. 



" Hydroptilidce. The cases of my former letter, which you were inclined 

 to doubt as belonging to Trichoptera, are those of Hydroptilidce. I have 

 often reared the imago. The family appears to be very rich here. I already 

 know the larvae of eleven or twelve species. The most curious of them are 

 two species which, no doubt, form a new genus [Peltopsyche). The larvse 

 live in fixed flat shield-like cases, resembling the egg-cases of Nephelis, 

 transversely striated in one species (P. Sieboldi), smooth in the other 

 (P. Maclachlani). The antennae of the male are very curious, and very 

 different in the two species. Spurs 2.4.4. The antennae of P. Sieboldi 

 are 13-joiiited in the male, and the jiumber is probably the same in 

 P. Maclachlani ; in the female the joints are more numerous. I 



" Chlinarrha ? The larvae of some BhyacopthilidcB [Chimarrha?) live in 

 movable cases. These larvae remove the ventral wall of their houses 

 before fixing them to some stone. 



" The number of species of Trichoptera that I have seen here, either in 

 the larval or perfect state, is about forty." 



* It does agree with Tetracentron in almost every particular. — R. M'L. 



+ These hlack tubes have probably been described as actual shells of Dentalium. 

 Vallot (Mem. Acad. Dijon, 1855) cites doubtfully Dentalium cornexun, Graelin, which 

 has since been referred as the case of a Trichopterous insect, as identical therewith, 

 and renames it Phrygaiiea grumicha. The insects sent by Dr. Fritz Miiller belong 

 to the Leptoceridce, but to an vindesoribed genus of uncertain affinities. — R. M'L. 



J The structure, and especially the habits, oi Peltopsyche differ so much from 

 other Hydroptilidce that one is tempted to duubt if it really belong to the family. — 

 R. M'L. 



