WATER HOUSES 79 



China Marks Caterpillars are perfectly happy 

 and comfortable. Each makes for itself a 

 nice little home by first cutting off an oval- 

 shaped piece from a leaf and fastening it with 

 silk to the underside of another leaf, and 

 inside this it lives contentedly. The Cater- 

 pillar's house is always full of fresh air, for the 

 little owner breathes in true insect fashion 

 through breathing pores (or spiracles) down 

 each side of its body. 



When it is hungry the Caterpillar pushes its 

 head out of doors and nibbles the plants 

 round about. The door is an opening with an 

 elastic edge which fits tightly round the insect's 

 shoulders while it is feeding ; so the air within 

 is not displaced, and, strange to say, although 

 this Caterpillar lives under water no water 

 ever gets into its little house. 



When cold weather comes, and the water 

 plants wither, this queer little Caterpillar goes 

 to sleep. In the spring it wakes up again and 

 sets to work to make a new house, this time 

 with two pieces of leaf, fastened together at 

 the edges with silk, so that it can move about 

 in the water in search of fresh food. It is 

 often found in ponds where water lilies grow, 

 for it seems to prefer the leaves of the water- 



