102 OCCASIONAL PAPEBS. 



the Puss Moth is full fed and becomes much lighter 

 in colour ; it then begins to seek a suitable place on 

 which to construct its cocoon in which to spend the 

 winter. It generally fixes on the bark of a tree, and 

 fashions its cocoon out of the said bark. With a 

 gummy secretion of its own it fastens together small 

 chips which it has gnawed from the bark, thereby 

 making a hollow, building all round itself and arch- 

 ing a covering over it just as the Esquimaux builds 

 his snow house, only that it does not leave any 

 aperture for escape. It requires the quick discern- 

 ing eye of the practised entomologist to detect one of 

 these cocoons on the stem of a tree. It is similar 

 in colour to the bark, and is merely one of a great 

 number of excrescences upon it. I have often 

 hunted for them in vain, but they were plain enough 

 after the escape of the moth, the large aperture and 

 the white down round it making it conspicuous. 

 This is another instance of what is called " pro- 

 tective resemblance," and saves the creature from 

 the attacks of birds that live on larvae and pupa? and 

 whose quick eyes soon discern anything differing in 

 colour from its surroundings, In the " struggle for 

 existence " always going on, the Puss Moth thus 

 stands a better chance of preservation, a less risk of 

 being exterminated. The cocoon is very hard, and 

 a penknife has often been broken in the attempt to 

 cut or remove it. In captivity of course the creature 

 has not much choice, and will make its cocoon of 

 anything it can get ; if confined under a glass it 

 will even construct it simply of gum. The case is 

 then transparent and the brown chrysalis can be 

 seen through it. In the specimens before you there 



