﻿108 
  Mr. 
  J. 
  W. 
  Douglas 
  on 
  Rtaumurs 
  Microlepidoptera. 
  

  

  cocoons 
  beneath 
  the 
  epidermis 
  of 
  the 
  leaf: 
  as 
  that 
  is 
  contrary 
  to 
  

   the 
  rule 
  in 
  other 
  species 
  of 
  the 
  Gracillaria 
  group, 
  I 
  am 
  inclined 
  to 
  

   fancy 
  some 
  mistake. 
  

  

  " 
  The 
  cleanliness 
  of 
  a 
  miner 
  which 
  makes 
  blotches 
  on 
  the 
  leaves 
  

   of 
  the 
  oak 
  does 
  not 
  admit 
  of 
  our 
  confounding 
  it 
  with 
  many 
  others. 
  

   There 
  is, 
  however, 
  nothing 
  particular 
  in 
  its 
  labour; 
  the 
  space 
  

   which 
  it 
  mines 
  is 
  nearly 
  circular 
  ; 
  the 
  epidermis 
  which 
  covers 
  it 
  

   has 
  a 
  slight 
  convexity, 
  without 
  having 
  a 
  ridge. 
  When 
  not 
  mining, 
  

   it 
  is 
  very 
  generally 
  bent 
  as 
  a 
  bow. 
  If 
  we 
  remove 
  the 
  epidermis 
  

   that 
  covers 
  it, 
  we 
  perceive 
  no 
  excrement 
  in 
  its 
  abode 
  ; 
  it 
  has 
  the 
  

   precaution 
  to 
  make 
  it 
  outside 
  its 
  dwelling. 
  In 
  observing 
  one 
  

   of 
  these 
  larvae, 
  I 
  saw 
  it 
  walk 
  backwards, 
  till 
  its 
  anus 
  was 
  close 
  

   to 
  the 
  edge 
  of 
  its 
  abode 
  ; 
  it 
  even 
  made 
  it 
  go 
  beyond, 
  for 
  there 
  was 
  

   a 
  little 
  slit 
  for 
  it 
  to 
  go 
  through, 
  which 
  the 
  larva 
  knew 
  where 
  to 
  

   find, 
  and 
  it 
  then 
  ejected 
  a 
  little 
  black 
  grain, 
  and 
  immediately 
  the 
  

   larva 
  retired 
  into 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  its 
  dwelling. 
  When 
  I 
  afterwards 
  

   examined 
  with 
  a 
  lens 
  the 
  places 
  mined 
  by 
  the 
  larvae 
  of 
  this 
  

   species, 
  I 
  recognized 
  that 
  they 
  had 
  all 
  a 
  little 
  slit 
  on 
  the 
  upper 
  

   surface 
  of 
  the 
  leaf 
  The 
  excrement 
  which 
  they 
  eject 
  at 
  this 
  

   opening 
  very 
  frequently 
  falls 
  to 
  the 
  ground, 
  being 
  hard 
  grains, 
  

   which 
  roll 
  on 
  a 
  smooth 
  surface. 
  In 
  vain 
  did 
  I 
  examine 
  this 
  insect 
  

   with 
  a 
  powerful 
  glass, 
  and 
  in 
  a 
  strong 
  light, 
  I 
  could 
  find 
  no 
  legs 
  

   even 
  when 
  it 
  tried 
  to 
  walk. 
  Its 
  body 
  is 
  white, 
  but 
  the 
  head 
  and 
  

   tail 
  are 
  brown 
  ; 
  the 
  anus 
  is 
  beneath, 
  and 
  has 
  a 
  wide 
  border 
  ; 
  the 
  

   head 
  is 
  very 
  flat 
  ; 
  the 
  jaws, 
  which 
  are 
  the 
  most 
  marked 
  parts 
  of 
  

   it, 
  form 
  a 
  point 
  where 
  they 
  meet. 
  The 
  exterior 
  form 
  of 
  each 
  is 
  

   an 
  arc, 
  which 
  seems 
  a 
  portion 
  of 
  a 
  circle." 
  

  

  Note. 
  — 
  This 
  " 
  clean 
  miner," 
  as 
  Reaumur 
  called 
  it, 
  is 
  very 
  pro- 
  

   bably 
  Tischeria 
  complanella 
  : 
  at 
  any 
  rate, 
  a 
  larva 
  which 
  corre- 
  

   sponds 
  to 
  Reaumur's 
  account, 
  and 
  also 
  to 
  Ratzeburg's 
  observations 
  

   of 
  that 
  species, 
  makes 
  blotches 
  on 
  the 
  oak 
  leaves 
  in 
  September 
  

   and 
  October. 
  

  

  