218 [October, 



McEae's opinion, it ia only in these circumstances that impregnation takes place. In 

 some instances the female foi'ces herself about halfway out, and even works backward 

 and forward, but after three or four days comes quite out. This seems very sti-ange, 

 the creature being so helpless when out of the case that it can barely roll over, and 

 its only motion is a sort of pulsating constriction of the segments ; but there is no 

 doubt about it, specimens in my own possession have, this summer, behaved exactly 

 as described. 



The larva is better known, and has been well figured and described. Its head 

 and anterior segments have rather the appearance of porcelain, from the colour and 

 texture of the horny plates with which they are covered ; these are creamy-white 

 with black markings. The legs are very strong, rather long, and with conspicuous 

 joints ; prolegs very small and inconspicuous, except the anal pair, which are large 

 and rather extended outwards, and are used for holding fast to the silken lining of 

 the case, to which they cling with gi'eat force. The larva is never known voluntarily 

 to leave its case. The latter is composed of silk, but totally covered with short 

 pieces of twig, usually of heather, all pointing obliquely back, the only opening 

 being at the anterior end, whence the head and next three segments are protruded 

 for feeding or moving. When full fed this end is spun tightly down to some firm 

 object, and the larva then turns round inside the case, opens the other end, and spins 

 an extension of the silken case through which the male pupa or the female moth can 

 wriggle its way. 



The pupa of the male is structurally like those of other winged moths, but that 

 of the female is like a large brown Dipterous pupa, having no trace of the wing 

 cases, and in this respect differing from the pupa of $ OrgyicB, in which the wing 

 covers are well marked. In both sexes the change to the pupa state takes place in 

 the larva case, but in the male the pupa works its way fully one half out before 

 emergence. The creature is curiously docile as regards the material of which the 

 larva case is formed, any dry bits of vegetable stick seem to be welcome, and in 

 confinement bits of paper are substituted without much objection. The late Mr. 

 J. Jenner Weir induced his larvse to build cases almost entirely of bits of paper of 

 various colours, producing results both ornamental and remarkable. On the other 

 hand, the larva is most obstinate as regards food when in confinement, existing 

 sometimes for months without any ; or else, after spinning its case tightly down as 

 though for pupation, releasing it and feeding on for months, so as to pass over till 

 another year. The only reasonably successful method of securing specimens of the 

 adult of either sex (to call the females " perfect insects" would be an absurdity) is 

 to secure the cases as soon as possible after they have been fixed down by the larvae 

 for pupation. 



Psyche opacella, H.-S. — This species is far more widely distributed than the 

 last, being found in several parts of the South of England and in the Highlands of 

 Scotland, yet decidedly less common. The male is about one half the size of that 

 of P. villosella, the thorax rather stout and densely covered with long soft hairs, 

 the wings very slightly clothed with smoky-black hair-scales, and more than semi- 

 transparent. It flies in the sunshine, and Mr. W. Holland, who took a specimen 

 near Reading, describes its appearance as unexpectedly pale when on the wing, and 

 also says that, when captured, the motion of the wings was continued with such 



