344 SCIENCE FROM AN EASY CHAIR 



to man. The one which builds a case and is the titular 

 chief of the clan of clothes moths "the" clothes moth, 

 just as one may say "the" Macintosh is scientifically 

 indicated by the name Tinea pellionella. The other three 

 do not form movable cases when in the caterpillar stage, 

 and attack coarser stuff than fur and fine wool. One of 

 them is known as the " tapestry moth," because its cater- 

 pillar establishes itself in old tapestry and carpets, and 

 burrowing into these thickish materials is concealed with- 

 out the aid of any self-provided tunic or case. The name 

 Tinea is often used by entomologists in an expanded 

 form as Tineina, to indicate the whole series of minute 

 moths of which the genus Tinea is only one little group. 

 Many of these moths are much smaller even than the 

 clothes moth, and they are found in all parts of the world 

 and in all sorts and conditions of life in relation to trees, 

 shrubs, and plants of all kinds. It has been estimated 

 that there are as many as 200,000 distinctly marked 

 different kinds of these minute creatures. The insect 

 collectors and students who occupy themselves with the 

 magnificent butterflies and larger moths (of which there 

 are an enormous variety of kinds) refuse to deal with the 

 somewhat dull-looking and almost innumerable minute 

 moths which are classed as Micro-lepidoptera, in contrast 

 to the Macro-lepidoptera (or big moths and butterflies). 

 Consequently they have become the favourite study of a 

 few enthusiasts, who are known as Micro-lepidopterists, 

 and have a wide but not uninteresting field of exploration 

 all to themselves. The Micro-lepidoptera include, besides 

 the Tineina, a group of less minute though small moths, 

 with narrow, fringed wings, amongst which are the 

 window moth, the milk moth, the tabby moth, the meal 

 moth, and the grease moth. Though the clothes moths 

 may well be described as "tiny" moths, yet the word 

 Tinea, as applied to them, has no such origin, but is the 



