the cgrj-cases and early stages of some CassidicLx. 19 



operation of case-making is performed by the Insect with- 

 out its seeing what it is doing, the case being constructed 

 between the lower surface of the abdomen and the surface 

 of the leaf. We can scarcely suppose that the cerebral 

 ganglia are concerned ; and some dissections made by Mr. 

 Muir have not revealed any peculiar structure of, or even 

 development of, the terminal ganglia. 



These conclusions agree with those of Giardina. Ho 

 found that a Mantis that has had its head eaten away can 

 still construct an ootheca. Giardina's account of this (1. c, 

 p. 313) leaves some doubt as to the extent of the destruction 

 of the head in the case he describes. 



The substance used in the construction of the cases has 

 most remarkable properties, and it is to these that the 

 possibility of construction of the case is due. We have 

 already mentioned that we consider these cases may prove to 

 be homologous with the epichorion found as envelopes to the 

 solitary eggs of other divisions of Chrijsomelidx. But in 

 another Order of Insects we find parallel cases. The 

 remarkable stalked eggs of the Neuropterous genus Cliri)- 

 so-pa are well known to naturalists, and Dr. Jenkinson has 

 reminded one of us that the formation of the pedicel 

 is in this case due to a material that has properties 

 similar to that used by the GassididiV, and that is used in 

 a somewhat similar manner. The way in which these 

 stalked eggs are formed has previously been described ; * 

 we may here recall that the Cliryso'pa touches a leaf or 

 other substance ^^ith the tip of the abdomen, and then 

 drawing the abdomen away leaves an erect thread of sub- 

 stance adheriitg at one of the extremities to the leaf and at 

 the other extremity to the Qgg which is held in the abdo- 

 minal orifice, only partly extruded, for a few seconds ; by 

 which time the thread has become hard, and, when the 

 abdomen is withdrawn, the ^gg is found to be placed at the 

 head of this thread-like pedicel. 



B. The Clothing of the Larv.e. 



The variety in this matter is also very interesting. Par- 

 ticulars have been given in the preceding pages under the 

 headings of the eight species. We may here confine our- 

 selves to a comparison. 



Taxonomy of the larval clothing. Our eight species 

 fall into three very definite groups : 



* By MuUer, Enl. Mo. Mag., ix, 1872, p. GO. 



