NOTES ON THE COLEOPHORID^. 151 



quite of sufficient calibre to comfortably contain it. At the other end 

 of this case, the anal end with the two valves, were to be seen another 

 pair of jaws and a portion of the head of a larva, apparently working 

 at enlarging or adjusting. I watched for several minutes and saw one 

 pair of legs protrude in addition. In a short time the valves closed, 

 and then I noted that the larva at the other end was getting uneasy 

 and struggling to extricate himself from the case, an act which ic was 

 apparent was a difficult one. I suppose that the larva seen at the anal 

 end, when it had finished its work there, had turned round in the case 

 and was endeavouring to push out the larva at the fore end. For a 

 considerable time, some half an hour, this struggle went on, the larva 

 at the fore end, which I take was the intruder, gradually withdrawing 

 its body, until when only the last two or three segments remained in 

 the case, I could see below the semitransparent rim of the mouth 

 opening, the jaws of what I take to be the rightful owner. At last the 

 ejection was completed and the intruder was got rid of, the remaining 

 larva putting out its jaws and head presumably in triumph. I 

 examined the larva ejected and could not find any traces of bites, nor 

 was there the least amount of moisture, which would undoubtedly have 

 been present if in the struggle the skin had been ruptured. The larvae 

 were now put on one side until about 8.30 p.m., when I noted that the 

 triumphant larva had carried off its house and was feeding as usual. 

 The second larva, the ejected one, had not entered the empty case, but 

 was lying near it, rather sluggish, but otherwise did not appear any 

 the worse. With care T at last succeeded in introducing the anal 

 extremity of the ejected larva intO/the empty case, and then gradually 

 worked the whole larva backwards into it. Upon looking at it again 

 about 11 p.m., I found that larva also was busily engaged in making up 

 for its fast of the last few hours. 



I do not know at all how to account for this occurrence. What 

 made the intruding larva go into a neighbour's case ? It would not go 

 voluntarily into its own case, although it lay a long time on it, and yet 

 it entered the wrong case and that really too small for it. The larva 

 which retained the case was evidently the rightful owner of it, as he 

 seemed quite at home. Probably he was finishing off an enlargement, 

 since the anal valves were being pushed open, their edges were being 

 worked on, so that they should fit properly. At the same time I 

 noticed that the margin of the mouth opening was semitransparent 

 and not of full consistency, and there were numerous marks of fresh- 

 ness about the case. The other larva was certainly not the owner, as 

 the case was too small for him and he was ill at ease and only able to 

 extricate himself with difficulty. Yet he must have gone in at the 

 mouth opening and not only gone in but gone in head first and then 

 turned round inside. Besides, the only empty case and the case into 

 which I finally pushed him and which he retained, was quite suitable 

 as to size, and presumably the one he had quitted at the first. 



I found that the larvae of this species feed readily on leaves of 

 garden rose. In fact they are naturalised in my garden at the present 

 time, and reappear each year. 



COLEOPHORA LUTIPENNELLA. 



A number of the light brown cases of this species , were taken on 

 oak leaves at Bookham early in the month of June. The larvte were 



