Moth- Caterpillars. 237 



immediately around its body, it cuts the filaments of the wool 

 or fur close by the thread of the cloth, or by the skin, with 

 its teeth, which act in the manner of scissors, into convenient 

 lengths, and applies the bits, one by one, with great dexterity, 

 to the outside of its silken case."* This statement, however, 

 is erroneous, and inconsistent with the proceedings not only 

 of the clothes-nioth, but of every caterpillar that constructs a 

 covering. None of these build from within outwards, but 

 uniformly commence with the exterior wall, and finish by 

 lining the interior with the finest materials. Reaumur, 

 however, found that the newly-hatched caterpillars lived at 

 first in a case of silk. 



We have repeatedly witnessed the proceedings of these 

 insects from the very foundation of their structures ; and, at 

 the moment of writing this, we turned out one from the 

 carcase of an " old lady moth" (Mormo maura, OCHSENHEIM) 

 in our cabinet, and placed it on a desk covered with green 

 cloth, where it might find materials for constructing another 

 dwelling. It wandered about for half a day before it began 

 its operations ; but it did not, as is asserted by Bonnet, and 

 Kirby and Spence, " in moving from place to place, seem to 

 be as much incommoded by the long hairs which surround it, 

 as we are by walking amongst high grass," nor, " accordingly, 

 marching scythe in hand," did it, "with its teeth, cut out a 

 smooth road."f On the contrary, it did not cut a single hair 

 till it selected one for the foundation of its intended 

 structure. This it cut very near the cloth, in order, we 

 suppose, to have it as long as possible ; and placed it on a 

 line with its body. It then immediately cut another, and 

 placing it parallel to the first, bound both together with a 

 few threads of its own silk. The same process was repeated 

 with other hairs, till the little creature had made a fabric of 

 some thickness, and this it went on to extend till it was 

 large enough to cover its body ; which (as is usual with 

 caterpillars) it employed as a model and measure for regulat- 



* Animal Biography/ vol. iii. p. 330, Third Edition, 

 t Bonnet, xi. p. 204; Kirby and Spence, 'Introduction,' i. 464, Fifth 

 Edition. 



