416 LEPIDOPTERA. 



and about half an inch in diameter. It was not regularly 

 oval, but somewhat flattened on its lower side. It consisted 

 externally of two oblong oval pieces of a leaf, fastened to- 

 gether in the neatest manner by their edges, but the seams 

 made a little ridge on each side of the case ; this had become 

 dry and faded, and was lined within with a thick and tough 

 layer of brownish silk, in which there was left, at each end, 

 a circular opening just big enough for the caterpillar to pass 

 through. The caterpillar (Fig. 206) was 

 cylindrical, about as thick as a common 

 pipe-stem, of a light reddish-brown color 

 with a paler line along the back ; it was 

 rough with little elevated points ; its head 

 and the top of the first ring were black, 

 hard, and rough also. The head was provided with a pair 

 of jointed feelers, which the insect extended and drew in at 

 pleasure, and which, when they were out, were kept in con- 

 tinual motion. On each side of the middle of the head, 

 there was a black and flexible kind of antenna, very slender 

 where it joined the head, and broader towards the end, like 

 the handle of a spoon. The first three pairs of legs were 

 equal in length, and armed with stout horny claws. The 

 other legs, if such they could be called, were ten in number, 

 and so short that only the oval soles of the feet were visi- 

 ble, and these were surrounded by numerous minute hooks. 

 The tail end of the body was as blunt as if it had been cut 

 off with a knife ; it sloped a little backwards, and consisted 

 of a circular horny plate, of a dark gray color, which, when 

 the caterpillar retired within its case, exactly shut up one of 

 the holes in it. This caterpillar eat the leaves of the oak, 

 and fed mostly by night ; while eating, it came half-way, or 

 more, out of its cocoon ; and in moving laid hold of the leaf 

 with its fore legs, and then shortened its body suddenly, so 

 as to bring its cocoon after it with a jerk ; and, in this way, 

 it went by jerks from place to place. When it had dono 

 eating, it moored its case to a leaf by a few silken threads 



