346 Insect Architecture. 



though more ingeniously woven, being regularly meshed like 

 net-work. 



A very prettily-netted cocoon is constructed by the grub 

 of a very small grey weevil (Hypera rumicis), which is not 

 uncommon in July, on the seed spikes of docks (Rumices). 

 This cocoon is globular, and not larger than a garden pea, 

 though it appears to be very large in proportion to the pupa 

 of the insect, reminding us not a little of the carved ivory 

 balls from China. The meshes of the net-work are also 

 large, but the materials are strong and of a waxy consistence. 

 Upon remarking that no netting was ever spun over the part 

 of the plant to which the cocoon was attached, we endeavoured 

 to make them spin cocoons perfectly globular by detaching 

 them when nearly finished ; but though we tried four or 

 five in this way, we could not make them add a single mesh 

 after removal, all of them making their escape through the 

 opening, and refusing to re-enter in order to complete their 

 structure. (J. R.) 



The silk, if it may be so termed, spun by many species of 

 larvas is of a still stronger texture than the waxy silk of the 

 little weevil just mentioned. We recently met with a re- 

 markable instance of this at Lee, in the cocoons of one of the 

 larger ichneumons (OpAton Vinulce ? STEPHENS), inclosed in 

 that of a puss-moth (Cerura Vinula) itself remarkable for 

 being composed of sand as well as wood, the fibres of which 

 had been scooped out of the under-ground cross-bar of an old 

 paling, to which it was attached. But the most singular por- 

 tion of this was the junction of the outer wall with the edges 

 of the hollow thus scooped out, which was formed of fibres of 

 wood placed across the fibres of the bar nearly at right angles, 

 and strongly cemented together, as if to form a secure founda- 

 tion for the building. 



In this nest were formed, surreptitiously introduced into 

 the original building, five empty cells of a black colour, 

 about an inch long, and a sixth of an inch in diameter ; 

 nearly cylindrical in form, but somewhat flattened ; vertical 

 and parallel to one another, though slightly curved on the 

 inner side. The cells are composed of strong and somewhat 



