the Psychidce. 237 



triquetrella, F. v. R., from my own inspection — for I have often bred 

 it at Freiburg from its three-sided cases, and thereby obtained fe- 

 males and males in tolerable plenty. At any rate the cases of the 

 sexual Talceporia triquetrella, F. v. R., and the sexless Talceporia 

 lichenella, Z., although the cases of both species appear three-sided, 

 are very different from one another. This difference probably 

 does not originate from the different materials, which these case- 

 bearing larvae use for the composition of their cases, though, in- 

 deed I have always found the larvae of Talceporia lichenella, Z., on 

 old fences, whereas Talceporia triquetrella, F. v. R., probably re- 

 mains, while in the larva state, on low grass plants, and to undergo 

 transformation crawls up on to the stems of trees, and sides of 

 rocks. The former is rarely found but in the neighbourhood of 

 gardens and houses ; the latter, on the contrary, occurs at a distance 

 from these, as in woods. The cases of Talcep. lichenella, Z., are 

 constantly smaller and darker than those of Talcep. triquetrella, 

 F. v. R. Since the cases of these Talceporia nurses are probably 

 differently constructed from those of the sexual Talceporia in- 

 dividuals, since besides it may be assumed that nurse-forms 

 will also occur in other species of Talceporia, and that we had 

 hitherto altogether disregarded the alternation of generation of 

 these moths, it cannot fail that the separation of species among the 

 genus Talceporia, which by these complicated circumstances is 

 rendered very difficult, must have fallen into the worst con- 

 fusion. 



It is now a problem for Lepidopterologists to investigate further 

 the extremely interesting circumstances of living of the Talceporia, 

 in order that the many still unresolved questions, which are as- 

 sociated therewith, may speedily receive a decided answer. 



For all those who wish to make the observation and investiga- 

 tion of the Psychidce their task, I will besides suggest the follow- 

 ing. It should be sufficient for the present to distinguish only 

 three genera of Psychidce ; Psyche, Fumea and Talceporia. Psyche 

 and Talceporia form the extremes of this family, and Fumea 

 stands as a connecting link midway between the two. 



1. Psyche. The male has pectinated antennae; it can elongate 

 its abdomen more or less, and during copulation thrusts it deep 

 into the case where the female remains concealed. 



The wingless female is vermiform, possesses neither legs, an- 

 tennae nor eyes, and likewise wants an ovipositor. It remains con- 

 cealed in the case, after its escape from the pupa shell, till copu- 

 lation has taken place; it then creeps backwards into the deserted 

 pupa-skin and lays it completely full of eggs, when, being quite 

 shrivelled up, it dies. 



