66 CURIOUS LARVA. 



pending from a sprig and enclosed in a case of a 

 woven substance, strengthened externally by bits 

 of twigs ; the insect to which this larva belongs 

 is unknown to me, nor have I been able to see it 

 described in any entomological work ; the only 

 publication in which I have seen it mentioned, is 

 in the catalogue of the museum of the Royal 

 College of Surgeons in London, part 4, fasc. 1. 

 "Preparations of Natural History in Spirit," 

 page 117, No. 438. " Larva of a Coleopterous 

 Insect in its Case.'' 



It attaches itself to the sprigs of shrubs, and, 

 like the caddis worms, protects itself by a habi- 

 tation from which it can protrude the anterior 

 part of its body, being attached internally to its 

 case by the tail, and by that means can feed and 

 change its locality at pleasure, bearing its case 

 with it, and re-attaching itself to any other 

 place that may suit its habits ; thus I have had 

 them moving about in my room, attaching them- 

 selves to one place, and then removing to 

 another ; at first much to my surprise at their 

 power of mobility, until I saw it was effected by 

 the protrusion of the larva from its habitation. 

 The case is composed internally of a very tough 

 web, and the exterior is covered by bits of twigs 

 interwoven upon it in a perpendicular direction ; 

 it suspends itself from the twig by a strong cluster 



