276 CLOTHES' MOTH. 



for their appetite, but also for their constructive skill : the little 

 marauders being accustomed to make for themselves out of 

 these materials, what we may designate either habitations 

 or clothing, movable tents or closely fitting body-coats. 

 Marauders though they be, yet they can scarcely be called 

 invaders, since, individually, that can assert a better claim 

 than that of conquest to the territory they lay waste ; for they 

 were born (caterpillars) on the property, and therefore inherit 

 it in right of their lady-mother Moth, that flitting felon, who 

 through crevice or key -hole intruded her fairy-like form and 

 founded her hidden settlement. This mode and manner of 

 its commencement deserves especial notice, as contradicting 

 completely the notion, still we believe partially entertained, 

 that Moths are self-engendered in the fabrics they infest. As 

 this is not the fact, we have only to enwrap our furry trea- 

 sures carefully in linen, so as to exclude all possible entrance 

 to the mother Moth, and we never need fear the presence of 

 her caterpillar offspring. 



We open a muff-box, drawer, or wardrobe, and first behold 

 with horror the winged offender or offenders ; we buffet them 

 in appeasement of our anger and vexation ; but if we do our 

 worst to them, the worst of the mischief lurks behind, and 

 must be nipped in the egg or in the caterpillar, which, strong in 

 the protection of the aforesaid body-coat, has set at nought our 

 impotent artillery of fumes, brimstone, camphor, bay, or laurel. 



Here we have one of the varlets in his self- wrought case ! 



