.CLOTHES MOTH. 609 



delicate goods, and heading the tiny poisoned arrows which are 

 projected through the blow-gun of the native. 



These Ants, however, find the fibre useful for their work, and 

 contrive to weave it so dexterously, that the individuality of the 

 fibres is lost, and they are all made into a compact and uniform 

 mass. The size of the nests varies, but is sometimes very con- 

 siderable, a full-sized nest being often as large as a man's head. 



The Ant itself is rather a curious little creature, dark in 

 colour, covered with many angular protuberances, and being re- 

 markable for a couple of long, sharp spines that project from the 

 thorax, one on either side. Its scientific names, Polyrachis hispi- 

 nosa, are given in consequence of these projections, the first name 

 being composed of two Greek words, signifying many-peaked, 

 and the second being formed from two Latin words, signifying 

 two-spined. 



Theke are many insects whose habitations are peculiarly 

 annoying to mankind, and yet are extremely interesting to those 

 who take an interest in the workings of instinct. Chief among 

 these insects is the well-known Clothes Moth. There are several 

 allied species which popularly go by this name, but the most 

 plentiful is that which bears the scientific title of Tinea vestia- 

 nella. These destructive little creatui-es are proverbially injurious 

 to clothes, especially if the garments be made of wool or furs, 

 vegetable fabrics being not to their taste. Some species affect 

 dried insects, and are in consequence extremely hateful to the 

 entomologist ; while their ravages on furs aud feathers, and even 

 on leather itself, render them the dread of those wl.o, like myself, 

 possess collections of natural history or ethnology. 



In their winged state, the moths themselves do no direct harm ; 

 but their young are doubly mischievous, firstly, because they 

 devour the fabrics in which they live, and secondly, because they 

 cut up the cloth, fur, or feathers, in order to obtain material for 

 their home. Possibly for the sake of concealment as well as 

 protection, the larva iustinctively forms a habitation which 

 entirely covers its white body, and, which is almost imper- 

 ceptible to the eye, because it is formed of the same materials as 

 the fabric on which it lies. 



The habitation is tubular in form, though not exactly cylin- 

 drical, being rather larger in the middle than at the ends, and 



I! n 



