312 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



Psychidae mention the fact that the females lay eggs, but omit 

 to give any details as to the modus operandi. In a Bulletin 

 (No. 6) issued in 1899 by the Cape of Good Hope Department of 

 Agriculture is an illustration of a "sack" of a bag-worm, cut 

 open to show the female within depositing her eggs. The female 

 is depicted out of her pupa-case, depositing her eggs in the 

 bottom of the sack. This is either a mistake, or else the species 

 illustrated has totally different habits to the one I am at present 

 discussing — Oeceticus ignohilis, or Metara elongata, found on the 

 mainland of Australia. 



Although I have had several hundred pupa-cases full of eggs 

 in my possession from time to time, I have never noted the 

 number of days the eggs took to hatch. The bulk commenced to 

 emerge on February 2nd. The young, as they hatch from the 

 eggs, find their way out of the cases by the posterior opening. 

 They let themselves down by means of long threads, and soon 

 spread all over the tree or shrub. They are then 1"5 mm. long, 

 and of a dark chocolate colour, especially the head and thorax, 

 which are nearly black. The posterior extremity of the body is 

 carried erect. In a few hours the first " case " is formed. Mr. 

 G. V. Hudson, when speaking of Oeceticus oiiinivorus in his fine 

 work, ' New Zealand Moths and Butterflies,' says that not for 

 three days is the first case formed. This is quite contrary to my 

 experience with other Psychidae. But, to return. The first case 

 is constructed of very fine scales of bark and lichen from the 

 boughs of the trees, and fastened together with silk. This case 

 is the same length as the larvae, viz. 1*5 mm., and shaped like a 

 miniature inverted earthenware crucible as used by metallurgists. 

 I say " inverted," because the case is always carried over the 

 back on the posterior segments until it becomes too heavy ; it 

 then hangs downwards. It was not until sixty-three days after 

 the first case was formed by bred specimens that it got too heavy 

 to carry upright. 



In the ' Cambridge Natural History,' vol. ii. p. 393, it is 

 stated that Psychidfe larvse are thought by some to make a first 

 meal on the body of their parent. This is most certainly not 

 the case with this or any other species of the family whose 

 habits I have investigated. I have had many opportunities of 

 watching a larva in captivity constrmit its first case. To give a 

 typical example : The case was made out of grains of cork, and 

 took two hours to complete. First, a mass of cork-grains, loosely 

 fastened together with silk, was formed ; through the centre of this 

 mass the caterpillar thrust its head, then worked, by means of its 

 mandibles, the mass into the form of a narrow closely woven 

 band, round what might for the sake of convenience be called its 

 neck. Slowly fragment after fragment of cork was gnawed oft', 

 and fastened by means of silk to the front edge of the broadening 

 band, which was gradually being pushed down and round the 



