80 LETTER FROM MISS M. E. SMEE. [Feb. 24, 



" I found it was quite necessary for the Caddises to have plenty of 

 food whilst in the larva state, to enable them to have strength to un- 

 dergo the transformation. 



" Trout are the great enemies of the Caddises, as they eat them up, 

 cases and all, in every stage of their existence ; but they consider the 

 worms without the cases as especially dainty morsels. 



" On the 24th of January this year, I observed that the Caddises 

 were just hatched ; and although some were so small that they were 

 only visible with a lens, yet every one was busily employed in making 

 its little house. 



** They have grown so quickly that, since that date, they are now 

 quite conspicuous at the bottom of the river. 



" The box I send to you contains in the centre the cases made 

 from the various materials I gave to the worms, and encircling the 

 artificial cases are the natural habitations as taken from the river. 

 " Trusting you will find them worthy of your inspection, 

 " Believe me to remain, 

 " My dear Sir, 



•* Yours faithfully, 

 " Elizabeth Mary Smee." 

 " To Br. Gray, F.R.S., 



of the British Museum." 



" P.S. The Caddises are so excessively pugnacious that I am 

 always obliged to keep each in a separate vessel. If that precaution 

 were not taken, instead of peaceably constructing their houses, a fierce 

 warfare would be carried on between them, which would result in 

 the death of the weakest party. After one was killed, the survivor 

 would set about building its house. I generally kept about thirty 

 small white earthen jars at a time, each being filled v.ith water, and 

 containing a single Caddis-worm, with the particular material of which 

 I wished its house to be constructed. 



" The Caddises are provided with two little hooks, situated one on 

 each side of the tergutn. These little hooks are curved and sharply 

 pointed. With these they securelj' fasten themselves in their houses, 

 by which extra strength is given to resist their being torn from their 

 cases. At first, on account of these hooks, I experienced some diffi- 

 culty in turning them out of their habitations. Indeed, I was often 

 so unfortunate as to break and consequently spoil their cases ; or 

 sometimes, after catching the creature by its i\ead and trying to pull 

 it forcibly out, 1 have known the creature to retain its hold so firmly 

 by means of its hooks, that its body has been pulled in two rather 

 than it would let go its hooks and suffer its house to be taken from 

 it. At last I found that when a pin was gently pushed into the end 

 of the case, the slight irritation would cause the Caddis to crawl 

 entirely out of its house, and thus I was enabled to preserve the case 

 without causing injury to the worm." 



