Spinning Caterpillars. 357 



I had the curiosity to examine one of them, which I found 

 to contain numberless caterpillars. The texture is so strong 

 that it is not easily torn; and the interior contained a 

 quantity of green leaves, to support the numerous progeny 

 within."* 



[We will now give a brief account of several foreign insects 

 that are remarkable for the pendulous nests which they 

 make. 



[The first of these is built by a hymenopterous insect belong- 

 ing to the genus Larrada. It is fastened to the under side of a 

 leaf, and is made of vegetable fibres, cut up very short, and 

 masticated by the insect, much like the materials used by 



Nest of Larrada. 



the Fungus Ant, described on page 311. The insect which, 

 forms this nest is black in colour and has very thick legs. 

 The wings are clouded. It is but a small insect, being only 

 three-eighths of an inch in length. Both nest and insect are 

 in the collection of Mr. F. Smith, of the British Museum. 



[In the next illustration are seen two nests built by hymen- 

 opterous insects belonging to the hymenopterous genus 

 Polybia. The left-hand figure represents a nest made by 

 Polybia sedula, a Brazilian insect. It is fixed to a large 

 leaf, and, as may be seen, has the entrance at the end of a 

 long neck. The exterior of the nest is a very thin sheet 



* Hardy's Travels in the Interior of Mexico, p. 32. 



