386 BRITISH LEPIDOPTERA. 



hundred, all without cases, but crawling about in a most restless 

 manner. They were provided with grass and dock about 9 a.m. and by 

 8 p.m. the majority had manufactured cases, utilising pieces taken from 

 that of the female. The larva appears to commence the making of the 

 case by forming a ring of silk, to which is added any suitable material 

 obtainable. The ring is broadened extending around the abdomen, and 

 the abdomen and case are carried erect at this period, as are those of 

 the adult Lujfia. The larva is still very active but not so hurried in 

 its movements as before its case was constructed. It appears that the 

 larvae do but little feeding during the first two or three days of their 

 existence, spending almost the whole time in the making and lengthening 

 of their cases, as no frass was observed in the jar for the first four or five 

 days. In its habits, the larva afterwards becomes sluggish, rests with its 

 body contracted and curved, has the power of hanging by a silk thread 

 if disturbed, and if taken from its case searches as it were for material 

 as if to start a fresh case. These larvae commenced to hybernate in 

 October, the cases by this time being almost an inch in length, and, in 

 the middle of January (1900), the cases appeared to be exactly the 

 same as when hybernation commenced, nor did there seem to be any 

 difference in the larvse except that they appeared to have become 

 rather compressed lengthwise (although this may have been due to a 

 dislike of disturbance). For the purpose of hybernation, one or two 

 had spun their cases to the top edge of the tub in which they were 

 confined, but most of them were lying about among the dead leaves, 

 quite sodden with wet and as if dead, but on opening the cases the 

 larvae were found to be quite lively and active. The larvae were 

 observed to be moving about on March 12th, and had evidently 

 quite awakened from their hybernation (Bacot). Standfuss says 

 that the larval stage of this species lasts only for one year in Silesia, 

 and that it thus agrees with 8. hirsutella ; Mrs. Cowl and other 

 observers state that, in Britain, it normally takes two years. Bacot's 

 Locarno specimens, just referred to, evidently mean to take only one* 

 year. 



Larva. — The newly -hatched larva (April 23rd, 1899) has a large 

 head and prothorax, smaller meso- and metathorax. The head black, 

 the thoracic segments nearly so. The abdomen white, except the anal 

 end, which is pale yellowish or brownish, and has a chitinous appear- 

 ance. The pro- and mesothorax are completely armoured, but the 

 metathorax appears to have a wide gap or suture on the mediodorsal 

 line, dividing the dorsal shield into two plates. The head and thorax 

 make up nearly half the length of the larva, and quite half the bulk. 

 The hairs are very long in comparison with the size of the larva, 

 and the length of those in adult larvae of the same species. When 

 three weeks old, but still in the first stadium, the larva is about 

 l-25mm. in length (of which the abdomen makes up three-fifths) ; the 

 prolegs rather long ; head and thorax large, rather wider than 

 abdomen, which is about '25mm. in diameter ; the prothorax about 

 twice the size of the meso- or metathorax ; the hairs long, some of 

 them on head and thorax being about -25mm. in length, those 

 on abdomen rather shorter. The head and thorax are black and 

 horny, the abdomen white and soft, but with well-marked chitinous 

 plates, those on anal segment being dark in colour. The dorsal setae 

 are a short outer i, and a long inner ii (as in adult Psychid larvae, only 



