THE CASE MOTHS (PSYCHID^}. 205 



no more curious and interesting examples occur among 

 the whole of the insect races ; certainly, in structure 

 of the female, and in habit, they are the strangest and 

 most abnormal of all Lepidoptera. They belong to the 

 Psychidae, a portion of the remarkable silk-spinning 

 family of the Bombycidae, but offer many points which 

 are distinct in themselves, and entitle them to rank, 

 as recent lepidopterists agree, as a separate and well- 

 defined tribe. 



Their geographical distribution is extensive, since 

 they are found in Europe, in North and South America, 

 the West Indies and Mexico, in Northern India and 

 Ceylon, in China, the South Sea Isles, and Australia, 

 being most abundant in sub-tropical regions. Wonder- 

 fully few species are described as natives of the United 

 States ; while in California, unfortunately three have 

 been discovered solely in the larval state, the more 

 mature conditions of the species as yet eluding detec- 

 tion. But there, as in various other parts of the 

 globe, probably greater numbers await the industry of 

 observers. 



Among English-speaking folk the common appellations 

 for the moths originate in the same circumstance as the 

 popular term in Germany ; house-builders, sack-bearers, 

 basket-carriers, basket- worms, case-moths, by these 

 names they pass in England, America, and Australia, 

 on account of the singular habitations, or sacks, they 



