292 HOMES WITHOUT HANDS. 



means of the loose thread; so that the whole, when finished, 

 forms a loose web, with quadrangular meshes of nearly equal 

 size throughout. The task occupies about four days.: when 

 finished, the inclosed caterpillar becomes sluggish, its skin 

 shrivels and cracks, and there then remains a motionless chrysalis 

 of narrow shape, leaning against the sides of its silken cage." 



Some other lepidopterous insects suspend themselves by single 

 threads, but most of them make their habitations of leaves, so 

 that, when suspended, they do not attract much attention, look- 

 ing like chance leaves that have fallen from the branches and 

 caught in a stray piece of spider's web. Sometimes these nests 

 are made from single leaves, the edges of which are drawn 

 together by the silken threads spun by the caterpillar that takes 

 refuge within, and sometimes they are made from several leaves, 

 which are fastened to each other by similar threads. Some of 

 these pensile nests are inhabited by a number of caterpillars, 

 which live together in perfect harmony. Such nests are not un- 

 common in tropical countries, and one or two of them will be 

 described in the chapter on Social Insects. One traveller de- 

 scribes some of these nests by comparing them to the white paper 

 bags in which grapes are tied, when ripe, in order to preserve 

 them from wasps and other marauders. 



He also mentions that the interior contained a quantity of 

 green leaves, which afforded food to the inhabitants, but does 

 not tell us whether the leaves were actually growing on the tree 

 and surrounded by the nest, or whether they had been cut from 

 the boughs outside, and carried into the interior by the in- 

 habitants. The latter supposition is implied, but it can hardly 

 be a correct one, as it is directly contrary to our present know- 

 ledge of the habits of caterpillars. I believe that no lepidopterous 

 larva is known to fetch food from a distance, and to store it for 

 future consumption. As far as we know at present, the cater- 

 pillar has not the least thought for the morrow, but simply 

 devours the leaves where they grow. 



There are many species, such as the larva of the common 

 Bkown-tail Moth (Porthesia aurifiua), or of the Small Ermine 

 Moth (Yponomeuta padella), which travel by day to consider- 

 able distances in their search after food, and return at night to 

 their common habitation, guided by the threads which they 



