2o6 DEL AGO A BAY. 



ing on a small-leaved creeper with a milky juice, 

 dropping instantly to the ground when touched. 



What delighted me so much with them was 

 to see them make tbeir cocoons from their own 

 hair. After taking up a suitable position on the 

 side of the box, they commenced operations by 

 pulling out small tufts of hair and sticking 

 them all round them on the wood in an oval 

 form about the size of a hen's egg. This done, 

 they began to surround themselves with an 

 elastic wall, pulling out all their hair for the 

 purpose, and using up the light tufts last. It 

 was really very curious to see the way they 

 reached round to get a good tug at a mouthful 

 of hair, and the quick way they wove it in its 

 place, constantly turning completely round to 

 make both ends alike, and seeming to shoulder 

 up, if I may use the term, against the sides of 

 the wall to stretch it to the proper size. Their 

 little red bodies, when half denuded of hair, 

 looked very comical and cold. 



Some seemed to economise the material at 

 hand much better than others, and would hardly 



