NOTES ON COLEOPHORA SOLITARIELLA , ETC. 119 



much smaller than two I had received on April 30th from Chiswick, 

 per Mr. Sich. Some of the cases were only just enlarged after 

 hybernation. The one large case was, from its weather-worn 

 appearance, a case of last year from which an imago had, no doubt, 

 emerged. When young, the cases of this species are very slender and 

 delicate, and the anal opening is often, more or less, indefinite in shape 

 and make. The older portions of the case, that part which formed the 

 shelter in the winter, can readily be noted, as it shows the dirty white 

 of the weather's influence, but there is never any yellow in its 

 coloration. One of the cases found showed clear evidence of being slit 

 down the back and very narrow pieces put in, the older portion of the 

 case instead of lying in two adjoining patches, was divided by this new 

 addition, down the middle of the back as well as down the middle of 

 the lower side. This was a most unusual occurrence, as only in 

 C. larkella had I seen any deviation from the rule of enlargements 

 being made along the centre of the lower surface. I find my notes do 

 not contain detailed remarks as to the larval plates, but only that the 

 armature on the back of the mesothoracic segment is divided into four 

 plates. During the field meeting of the South London Entomological 

 Society, held on May 14th, 1904, at Ashtead, Surrey, I came across a 

 very large colony of this species, and took a considerable number. 

 They were extremely restless, and since I obtained no imagines from 

 them, most of them dying or producing ichneumons, the whole of them 

 must have been unhealthy from parasitic attacks. I would venture to ask 

 if it is usual for larvte, whose internals are irritated by the presence of 

 parasites, to be rendered restless ? It certainly seems the case with the 

 Coleophorids, most of which are extremely restless and also particularly 

 subject to the attacks of parasites, both dipterous and hymenopterous. 

 With this batch of cases I was able to confirm what I had noted a few 

 days previously in the Lewisham larvae with regard to the enlargement 

 being made along the back. When the cases are enlarged, the bulk 

 of the enlargement takes place along the lower side, around the mouth 

 opening and at the anal end, at which last a considerable lengthening often 

 takes place. A moderate constriction is noticed in all cases just before 

 the commencement of the base of the valves of the anal opening, and, 

 unless the skill of the larva allows for this during the insertion of the 

 strip on the lower side, there is a want of symmetry near this constric- 

 tion on the outside, and possibly an inconvenience on that part inside. 

 In two or three cases, where this occurred, an additional slit was made 

 along the back from just below the base of the valves to about halfway 

 along, and, in this, a new piece was inserted. I believe Mr. Sich called 

 my attention to this some time ago, but, at that time, I felt positive that 

 enlargements never took place along the back, and the matter dropped. 

 Although I watched these larvae closely I was never fortunate enough 

 to see one of them in the act of enlarging its case, I frequently saw 

 them finishing the mouth or anal opening, but never saw a case actually 

 slit open for an insertion. On May 17th, I noted several of the smaller 

 cases were only 2-valved, while typical ones were 3-valved, with the 

 valves all very well- developed and appressed strongly at their edges. In 

 my notes I ask the question, " Is the case enlarged along two lines of 

 the underside ? " There often appears to be light streaks, more or less 

 fine with a wide darker stripe between, the darker mid area being nearly 

 of the same tint as the older material of the case. The enlargement 



