﻿Habits 
  of 
  Various 
  Insects. 
  117 
  

  

  Transformation 
  of 
  Caterpillars. 
  — 
  I 
  have 
  seen 
  many 
  of 
  the 
  cater- 
  

   pillars 
  of 
  the 
  common 
  butterfly 
  in 
  the 
  act 
  of 
  fixing 
  tlie 
  threads 
  

   over 
  their 
  backs, 
  the 
  average 
  number 
  being 
  about 
  twenty-six 
  ; 
  

   some 
  pass 
  as 
  many 
  as 
  thirty 
  over 
  their 
  backs, 
  and 
  some 
  only 
  

   twenty-four. 
  Every 
  time 
  it 
  carries 
  a 
  thread 
  over 
  its 
  back 
  it 
  glues 
  

   it 
  to 
  the 
  others 
  which 
  have 
  been 
  passed 
  over 
  its 
  back 
  before, 
  which 
  

   are 
  all 
  glued 
  together 
  into 
  one 
  thread 
  ; 
  it 
  then 
  withdraws 
  its 
  head, 
  

   assumes 
  a 
  straight 
  line, 
  and 
  waits 
  to 
  cast 
  its 
  skin 
  and 
  become 
  a 
  

   pupa. 
  Some 
  of 
  them 
  cast 
  their 
  skins 
  at 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  three 
  days, 
  

   some 
  at 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  six 
  days, 
  and 
  some 
  not 
  till 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  tenth 
  

   day, 
  when 
  they 
  become 
  pupas, 
  from 
  which 
  the 
  butterfly 
  makes 
  its 
  

   escape 
  in 
  the 
  following 
  spring. 
  

  

  fVinter 
  Midge. 
  — 
  Contrary 
  to 
  the 
  assertion 
  of 
  a 
  writer, 
  I 
  find 
  a 
  

   remarkable 
  difference 
  between 
  the 
  male 
  and 
  the 
  female 
  of 
  the 
  

   winter 
  midge 
  ; 
  the 
  male 
  has 
  a 
  slender 
  body 
  and 
  fine 
  feather- 
  

   like 
  antennae 
  ; 
  the 
  female 
  has 
  a 
  short 
  body, 
  and 
  such 
  small 
  

   antennas, 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  difficult 
  to 
  perceive 
  them 
  with 
  the 
  naked 
  eye. 
  

   The 
  swarms 
  of 
  these 
  beautiful 
  little 
  creatures 
  which 
  are 
  seen 
  

   sporting 
  in 
  the 
  air 
  in 
  such 
  multitudes, 
  in 
  the 
  winter 
  evenings 
  in 
  

   mild 
  weather 
  in 
  sheltered 
  situations, 
  are 
  composed 
  of 
  males 
  and 
  

   females. 
  As 
  they 
  sport 
  together 
  in 
  the 
  air 
  they 
  choose 
  partners 
  ; 
  

   and 
  while 
  they 
  struggle 
  together 
  they 
  fall 
  to 
  the 
  ground, 
  where 
  

   they 
  become 
  united, 
  and 
  remain 
  together 
  about 
  ten 
  minutes, 
  when 
  

   they 
  separate, 
  and 
  fly 
  away. 
  There 
  is 
  another 
  winter 
  midge, 
  

   found 
  about 
  the 
  same 
  time, 
  in 
  similar 
  situations, 
  which 
  sports 
  in 
  the 
  

   air 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  manner, 
  and 
  in 
  large 
  clusters 
  ; 
  the 
  male 
  and 
  female 
  

   fall 
  down 
  upon 
  the 
  ground, 
  and 
  remain 
  together 
  about 
  the 
  same 
  

   time 
  as 
  the 
  above, 
  I 
  have 
  found 
  the 
  pupaj 
  of 
  these 
  flies 
  among 
  

   very 
  rotten 
  rabbit 
  manure. 
  I 
  kept 
  a 
  few 
  of 
  them 
  in 
  a 
  box, 
  which 
  

   in 
  a 
  ?e\v 
  days 
  produced 
  flies 
  exactly 
  like, 
  in 
  shape, 
  size, 
  and 
  colour, 
  

   to 
  those 
  which 
  I 
  caught 
  sporting 
  in 
  the 
  air. 
  These 
  flies 
  are 
  a 
  

   great 
  deal 
  larger 
  than 
  the 
  ones 
  above-mentioned 
  ; 
  in 
  fact, 
  they 
  are 
  

   a 
  little 
  larger 
  than 
  the 
  common 
  gnat, 
  but 
  destitute 
  of 
  that 
  long 
  

   tube 
  in 
  front 
  of 
  its 
  head, 
  which 
  denotes 
  the 
  bloodthirsty 
  gnat. 
  

  

  Caterpillars 
  of 
  Brijopliila 
  perla. 
  — 
  On 
  old 
  walls, 
  which 
  are 
  

   exposed 
  to 
  the 
  weather, 
  I 
  have 
  found 
  a 
  great 
  many 
  caterpillars, 
  

   which 
  feed 
  upon 
  the 
  fine 
  particles 
  of 
  a 
  silver 
  colour 
  which 
  grow 
  

   upon 
  such 
  places. 
  They 
  make 
  their 
  cocoons 
  in 
  the 
  holes 
  of 
  the 
  

   wall, 
  weaving 
  a 
  web 
  over 
  the 
  hole 
  ; 
  then 
  they 
  bite 
  off' 
  bits 
  of 
  stone, 
  

   brick, 
  mortar, 
  or 
  moss, 
  and 
  fix 
  it 
  to 
  the 
  webbing, 
  so 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  

   difficult 
  to 
  find 
  them 
  out 
  in 
  some 
  places, 
  as 
  the 
  cocoon 
  so 
  nearly 
  

   resembles 
  the 
  vvall, 
  brick, 
  or 
  mortar, 
  to 
  wliich 
  it 
  joins. 
  They 
  are 
  

   found 
  in 
  the 
  winter 
  months, 
  and 
  when 
  the 
  weather 
  is 
  mild 
  they 
  

  

  