Tent-Making Caterpillars. 241 



much worn. It must have been this circumstance which 

 induced Bonnet to fancy (as we have already mentioned) 

 that it cuts the hairs to make itself a smooth, comfortable 

 path to walk upon. It would be equally correct to say that 

 an ox or a sheep dislikes walking amongst long grass, and 

 therefore eats it down in order to clear the way. 



[There is a little insect closely allied to these moths, 

 which does a vast amount of harm to the bee-combs. This 

 is the honey-comb moth, of which there are in England two 

 species, both belonging to the genus Galleria. This little 

 creature is continually trying to make its way into the hives, 

 and is as continually opposed by the bees, who instinctively 

 know their enemy. If it once slips past the guards, the 

 unfortunate bees are doomed to lose a considerable amount 

 of their stored treasures, and have sometimes been so worried 

 that they have been obliged to leave the hive altogether. 



[As soon as it can hide itself in an empty cell an easy 

 matter enough for so tiny a moth, which harmonizes exactly 

 in colour with the bee-combs it proceeds to lay its eggs, and, 

 having discharged its office, dies. The eggs soon hatch 

 into little grubs and caterpillars with very hard horny heads 

 and soft bodies. As soon as they come into the dark world 

 of the hive, they begin to eat their way through the combs, 

 spinning the while a tunnel of silk, which entirely protects 

 them from the stings of the bees. They can traverse these 

 tunnels with tolerable speed, so that the bees do not know- 

 where to find their enemies ; and if perchance they should 

 discover one of them at the mouth of its burrow, the hard, 

 horny head is all that is visible, and against its polished 

 surface the sting of the bee is useless. The rapidity with 

 which they drive the silken tubes through the comb is really 

 marvellous ; and even if they get among a collection of 

 empty bee-combs, they make as much havoc as if they were 

 bred in the hive from which the combs were taken. 



[In the accompanying illustration are seen figures of the 

 two species of honey-moths, together with their tunnels. The 

 species may be easily distinguished by the shape of the 

 wings, Galleria alvearia having, as seen at Figs. 6, c, the ends 



R 



