NOLA ALBULAL1S. 43 



persistently continued round the stem, excepting only 

 at that part which was intended to become enclosed. 

 On this part the larva at length took up its position, 

 and turning its head on one side, began to lay a 

 glutinous secretion and detach and fasten upon it a 

 short length of the previously loosened fibre, one 

 length after another, longitudinally and parallel, and 

 so continued to raise on either side of it structures 

 much resembling a pair of wings (one on either side), 

 concave within and tapered nearly to a point at the 

 stem at each of their ends, the larva appearing to 

 gam over the surface from which it removed the fibres. 

 On the night of June 29th I left it engaged in 

 loosening some fibres near three-eighths of an inch 

 above the top of the wing-like structures, its body 

 behind resting within them ; the next morning the 

 larva had wholly retired within the two wings, and 

 having drawn their edges together with silk, they 

 united formed a somewhat fusiform cocoon much after 

 the fashion of that of an Anthrocera. The larva when 

 I saw it was engaged in filling up a few interstices at 

 the junction with silk, some of the long dark hairs of 

 the body beiug interwoven ; but I could for some time 

 plainly see through them the head of the larva at 

 work, indeed, till 11 a.m., when they were all so 

 thickly spun up as to prevent me from further watch- 

 ing, and only a slow and gentle intermittent throbbing 

 of the cocoon proved that the occupant was still busy 

 at work within ; the assimilation to the stem itself in 

 colour and texture was remarkable. The length of the 

 cocoon was about seven-eighths of an inch ; its upper 

 surface rose tapering from the stem rather suddenly 

 in a slope to the thickest part at about one- third of 

 its length, where the head of the larva was last seen ; 

 thence it again tapered and sloped off very gradually at 

 the lower end. (W. B., Note Book III, 96.) 



