exemplified in the Genus Elachista. 89 



I was extremely anxious to see the work of the larvee, how they 

 make their cocoons, and bring them to the place where they wish 

 to hang them ; with this view I collected from the garden many 

 vine leaves, placed them with the stems in glasses of water, and 

 put them so against the light that I could with ease observe the 

 movements of the larvae ; and, since I had a supply of them, I 

 ■wished also to observe the larva itself, in order to see to which 

 class k belonged. I ripped up, therefore, the upper skin which 

 covered them, and brought three or four to light ; but what was 

 my astonishment when I examined them one after another, and 

 found neither legs nor prolegs. An apod larva, thought I ; an un- 

 known monstrosity. The suspicion therefore came across me : 

 there may be two sorts of larvae in the leaves, and I have probably 

 stumbled upon some dipterous mining larvae. I waited therefore 

 for a convenient opportunity to solve my doubts ; two larvai were 

 some hours afterwards about to make their cocoons, and I was an 

 attentive spectator of their work ; each drew off his from the leaf, 

 and, after wandering about for a time, made a stop under a nerve 

 of a leaf, and hung up its cocoon. This happened in about three- 

 quarters of an hour. Since I knew for certain that larvae were 

 within, I cut them open, and by this learnt that the previous in- 

 sects I had were truly apod Lepidopterous larvae, since these were 

 exactly like them. I examined them with a lens of two lines 

 focus, but could discover no feet, twist and turn them as I would ; 

 not being satisfied, I placed them under a powerful microscope, 

 but could not observe feet on any of the segments." 



Here I cease my extract, but those who feel curious will find 

 several pages more in the original ; and I should here mention 

 that no feet are perceptible in the larvae oi Elachista Treilschktclla! 

 The larva of the vine leaves is certainly congeneric with that of 

 the dogwood, but, not passing the winter in the larva state, is easier 

 to breed. The perfect insect is at the present day entirely un- 

 known to us ; but surely it can be no difficult matter for Entomo- 

 gists who reside in wine-growing countries to re-discover this in- 

 teresting species, for which 1 beg to suggest the name o? Elachista ? 

 Rivillei, in honour of its discoverer, whose observations would be 

 creditable in any Entomologist at the present day, whilst the re- 

 flection that they were jmblished in 1750 may well overwhelm us 

 with astonishment. 



