the Psy chides . 239 



II. Fig. 108 — 109, with case) a male as Psyche Helicinella, from 

 specimens sent by Mann, but of which the latter had only sus- 

 pected that they might have escaped from spiral cases, which he 

 had found in Sicily in the vicinity of their capture. Reaumur 

 (Memoires pour servir al'Histoire Naturelle des Insectes, torn. iii. 

 part i. 12o. pag. 249, PI. 15, f. 20-22) had also already known 

 and described these singular cases, and had bred the Chalcis from 

 them, at least we must consider as that the " petite mouches noire et 

 a quatre ailes," which he obtained from these spiral cases. Zeller, 

 in his critical review of the Lepidoptera described by Reaumur, 

 has omitted to explain these case-bearers (Isis, 1838, p. 718), but 

 he has expressed his opinion to me in a letter that these spiral 

 cases could belong to no Psyche, since the larvae living therein 

 fed in the way of the larvae of Coleophora. The latter fact has 

 Reutti also communicated to me from Freiburg. I had on my re- 

 moval from Freiburg specially recommended to him the further ob- 

 servation of these extremely interesting case-bearers. But hitherto 

 no Coleophora has been produced from these cases. In short, up 

 to the present time no Entomologist, who has had opportunity to 

 observe the case-bearers, has had the good fortune to breed from 

 them winged Lepidoptera. Neither Reaumur nor I, and just as 

 little (according to oral and written communications) Kollar, Mann, 

 Zeller or Reutti can boast of it. This is most extraordinary, and 

 must especially stimulate our interest in these case-bearers. I 

 therefore beg of Entomologists to devote all their attention and 

 care to this extremely interesting subject. Any notice thereon I 

 will receive most thankfully. 



The discovery of these spiral cases will probably happen in 

 the North of Germany, and even here in the province of Silesia, 

 since according to a written notice, for which I am indebted to 

 Herr Zeller, he has found these cases generally distributed (and 

 also near Glogau). In Italy he had met with them abundantly 

 on the olive trees ; he had also observed them on Anthyllis vul- 

 neraria, Lotus corniculatus and Gnaphalium arenarium, which 

 plants the larvae really fed on. Near Vienna I collected these 

 case-bearers, in the pupa state, only on a wall much exposed to 

 the sun, in the immediate vicinity of which grew Atriplex laci- 

 niata, on which plant, according to Kollar's assertion, these case- 

 bearers feed in the larva state. I may here incidentally observe, 

 that at the same place I met with the pupae of Coleophora auro- 

 guttella, the case-bearing larva of which likewise feeds on Atriplex 

 laciniata. 



