26 DR. BRACKENRIDGE CLEMENS' LETTERS. 



you perceive I was rewarded for my kind intentions to you, 

 by Nature herself, and I know no one whom she could more 

 properly adopt as her protege. I intended to send you speci- 

 mens of these, although I have but few of each, but I was 

 much pressed for time when preparing the box and over- 

 looked them. 



Aspidisca splendoriferella is a genus very close to Anti- 

 spila. The mine of the larva is similar but much smaller, 

 and although the cocoon is very small, but little of the mine 

 is left after the membranes of the leaf are cut. It feeds on 

 the leaf of Crat&gus tomentosa. 



The larva. The head is much smaller than the first 

 segment, rounded above and elliptical. The body is flattened 

 and tapers from the anterior rings, but the first is smaller 

 than the second ring. The segments are rather deeply 

 incised, the thoracic obtusely rounded at the sides and the 

 remainder, each with a lateral nodule or mammilla. "Without 

 legs or prolegs, but on the second and third thoracic rings, 

 both on the ventral and dorsal surfaces, are spots or cup-like 

 depressions, two on each ring, capable of being contracted 

 and expanded ; so also, from the sixth to the ninth inclusive 

 on the ventral surface, are oval central spots of a similar 

 kind, one on each ring, and on the ring next the last is a 

 protuberance both dorsal and ventral, with two cup-like 

 depressions on each surface. These are not supplied with 

 hooks, and if they are substitutes for feet must act like 

 suckers. These cup-like depressions are pale brown; the 

 head dark brown ; the body brown, with blackish along the 

 dorsal and ventral surfaces. 



The mine is a small transparent blotch, but little larger 

 than what is sufficient to form the disk, with the " frass" 

 deposited collectively. The disk is oval, rather pointed at 

 the extremities, and is secured to some object by one of its 

 ends tied down on a little white silk button. The larva 

 carries the disk quite a distance sometimes before finally 

 securing it. 



As the perfect insect is very small I will give you its 



