﻿Natural 
  History 
  of 
  British 
  Microlepidoptera. 
  79 
  

  

  The 
  habits 
  of 
  the 
  perfect 
  insects 
  are 
  very 
  retired, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  

   quite 
  possible 
  for 
  a 
  species 
  to 
  be 
  in 
  abundance 
  in 
  a 
  locality, 
  and 
  

   yet 
  never 
  be 
  seen 
  ; 
  the 
  larvae, 
  however, 
  cannot 
  so 
  easily 
  escape 
  

   observation, 
  for 
  from 
  their 
  mode 
  of 
  feeding, 
  ingenious 
  though 
  

   it 
  seems, 
  and 
  apparently 
  likely 
  to 
  retard 
  their 
  discovery, 
  they 
  

   are 
  in 
  fact 
  readily 
  detected. 
  The 
  larva 
  attaches 
  its 
  case 
  to 
  the 
  

   underside 
  of 
  a 
  leaf, 
  and 
  penetrating 
  the 
  lower 
  epidermis, 
  feeds 
  on 
  

   the 
  parenchyma. 
  The 
  case 
  is 
  out 
  of 
  sight, 
  under 
  the 
  leaf, 
  the 
  

   larva 
  is 
  partly 
  in 
  the 
  case, 
  partly 
  in 
  the 
  leaf, 
  thus 
  also 
  out 
  of 
  sight; 
  

   but 
  by 
  eating 
  the 
  parenchyma, 
  it 
  discolours 
  the 
  upper 
  surface, 
  

   which 
  at 
  that 
  spot 
  appears 
  white, 
  yellow 
  or 
  brown, 
  or 
  at 
  any 
  rate 
  

   of 
  a 
  different 
  colour 
  from 
  the 
  rest 
  ; 
  so 
  soon 
  therefore 
  as 
  we 
  ob- 
  

   serve 
  this 
  discoloration 
  of 
  the 
  leaf, 
  we 
  turn 
  it 
  over, 
  and 
  there, 
  fast 
  

   to 
  the 
  underside, 
  find 
  the 
  case 
  of 
  the 
  larva. 
  

  

  The 
  three 
  species 
  of 
  Coleophora 
  here 
  mentioned 
  have 
  been 
  dis- 
  

   covered 
  within 
  the 
  last 
  few 
  years. 
  

  

  If 
  in 
  February 
  or 
  March 
  we 
  look 
  in 
  a 
  hedge-bottom 
  where 
  

   Glechoma 
  hederacea 
  grows, 
  we 
  shall 
  frequently 
  find 
  white 
  blotches 
  

   on 
  the 
  leaves, 
  and 
  under 
  these 
  leaves 
  the 
  long 
  brown 
  cases 
  of 
  

   albitarsella. 
  

  

  If 
  early 
  in 
  May 
  we 
  search 
  the 
  Centaurea 
  nigra, 
  we 
  may 
  per- 
  

   chance 
  find 
  some 
  transparent 
  pale 
  brown 
  blotches, 
  caused 
  by 
  the 
  

   larvas 
  o{ 
  Alcyonipennella 
  ; 
  it 
  does 
  not 
  appear 
  nearly 
  so 
  generally 
  

   distributed 
  as 
  albitarsella. 
  

  

  If 
  in 
  April 
  we 
  examine 
  the 
  Stellaria 
  holosiea, 
  we 
  may 
  observe 
  

   many 
  plants 
  in 
  which 
  half 
  the 
  leaves 
  have 
  become 
  white 
  ; 
  this 
  is 
  

   the 
  work 
  of 
  soUtariella, 
  the 
  cases 
  of 
  which 
  will 
  be 
  found 
  attached 
  

   to 
  the 
  undersides 
  of 
  the 
  leaves. 
  

  

  Coleophora 
  albitarsella, 
  Zeller. 
  (Linn. 
  Ent. 
  IV. 
  p. 
  378.) 
  

   Larva 
  case 
  (PI. 
  XI. 
  fig. 
  1). 
  — 
  Length 
  5 
  lines. 
  — 
  Black, 
  cylin- 
  

   drical, 
  slightly 
  curved, 
  brownish 
  and 
  flattened 
  at 
  the 
  apex, 
  and 
  

   there 
  produced 
  on 
  one 
  side 
  into 
  a 
  thin 
  projecting 
  structure 
  like 
  

   a 
  keel 
  or 
  the 
  blade 
  of 
  an 
  oar 
  ; 
  a 
  slightly 
  raised 
  suture 
  also 
  extends 
  

   along 
  the 
  same 
  side 
  the 
  whole 
  of 
  the 
  remaining 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  case. 
  

   The 
  margin 
  of 
  the 
  mouth 
  is 
  slightly 
  expanded. 
  

  

  Zan-a 
  (fig. 
  1 
  a). 
  — 
  Length 
  3| 
  lines, 
  — 
  Dull, 
  greenish 
  white, 
  a 
  few 
  

   fine 
  hairs 
  at 
  each 
  extremity 
  ; 
  head 
  pale 
  brown 
  ; 
  second 
  segment 
  

   pale 
  brown 
  above, 
  the 
  anterior 
  margin 
  still 
  paler, 
  a 
  faint 
  light 
  line 
  

   down 
  the 
  centre 
  ; 
  third 
  segment 
  with 
  two 
  large 
  black 
  spots, 
  divided 
  

   by 
  a 
  pale 
  line 
  ; 
  fourth 
  segment 
  with 
  two 
  oval 
  black 
  spots 
  ; 
  there 
  

   is 
  also 
  a 
  black 
  dot 
  at 
  the 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  second, 
  third 
  and 
  fourth 
  seg- 
  

  

  