MUFF-MAKING CATERPILLARS. 



231 



it got upon the outside of the inhabited tent, and 

 sliding its head down to the entrance, tried to make 

 its way into the interior. But the rightful owner 

 did not choose to give up his premises so easily; and 

 fixed his tent down so firmly upon the table where we 

 had placed it, that the intruder was forced to aban- 

 don his attempt. The instant, however, that the other 

 vmmoored his tent and began to move about, the in- 

 vader renewed his efforts to eject him, persevering 

 in the struggle for several hours, but without a 

 chance of success. At one time, we imagined that 

 he would have accomplished his felonious intentions; 

 for he bound down the apex of the tent to the table 

 with cables of silk. But he attempted his entrance 

 at the wrong end. He ought to have tried the aper- 

 ture in the apex, by enlarging which a little he 

 would undoubtedly have made good his entrance; 

 and as the inhabitant could not have turned upon 

 him for want of room, the castle must have been 

 surrendered. This experhnent, however, was not 

 tried, and there was no hope for him at the main 

 entrance. 



Muff-shaped Tents. 



The ingenuity of man has pressed into his service 

 not only the wool, the hair, and even the skins of 

 animals, but has most extensively searched the vege- 

 table kingdom for the materials of his clothing. In 

 all this, however, he is rivalled by the tiny inhabi- 

 tants of the insect world, as we have already seen; 

 and we are about now to give an additional instance 

 of the art of a species of caterpillars which select a 

 warmer material for their tents than even the cater- 

 pillar of the clothes-moth. It may have been remarked 

 by many who are not botanists, that the seed-catkins 

 of the willow become, as they ripen, covered with a 

 species of down or cotton, which, however, is too 



