120 



WAYS OF THE SIX-FOOTED 



and feeds, safe from the sharp eyes of hungry birds 

 and from the vicissitudes of rain and wind. 



This little householder has no doorplate to announce 

 his name to the world ; possibly because his house 

 would afford scant room for the dignified name Pan- 

 tographa limata. From this omission on his part to 

 vaunt his real name he is commonly called the " Bass- 

 wood Leaf -roller," that being our rather crude way of 

 distinguishing his caterpillarship 

 from others of his kind which take 

 possession of our forests in happy 

 summer time. 



One August day I plucked one of 

 these rolled leaves with the intent of 

 studying the inmate (Fig. 38). I 

 found the little tent-ropes of silk 

 that fastened the roll down to the 

 leaf were quite strong, requiring 

 conscious effort to tear them asunder 

 as I made my way into the green 

 tube. It was not until the leaf was entirely un- 

 rolled that I discovered the tenant. He was a hand- 

 some little creature according to caterpillar standards 

 of beauty (Fig. 39) ; his green body had an opalescent 

 sheen that was most gemlike ; and his head and thorax 

 were vividly, aggressively black and shining. Notwith- 



FiG. 38. A Basswood 

 Leaf rolled into Tents. 



