PARAPONYX stratiotAta. 81 



whitish-grey ; the spiracles are exceedingly small and 

 black, each being situated on the flat centre of a 

 swelling eminence ; a small wart-like tubercle near 

 the base of the ventral legs bears a single hair-like 

 filament. 



On putting the second supply of the larvae, etc., with 

 the weed, into a glass globe of water, I found amongst 

 them a cylindrical case formed with pieces of Butomus 

 umbellatus, about an inch and a half long and half an 

 inch in diameter, no doubt originally constructed by a 

 very different aquatic larva, though now tenanted by 

 a larva of P. stvatiotata ; this, on looking at it three 

 hours afterwards, at night, I saw had been deserted; 

 the next morning I found it again in possession of 

 one of the larvae, when, for better observation, I 

 transferred it with the larva to a wide-mouthed bottle 

 of water and a spray or two of the food-plant ; I also 

 placed four others of the larvae, separately, with pieces 

 of the weed, into as many similar bottles of water ; in 

 the course of the same evening I saw that the indi- 

 vidua! in the case had contrived to sink its abode to 

 the bottom of the bottle, and had fixed it there in a 

 nearly perpendicular position by spinning a quantity 

 of silken threads to the end of a stem of the food- 

 plant, already made fast by similar means to the side 

 and bottom of the bottle; this case had previously 

 been floating on the surface of the water, both when 

 empty and when a larva was inside. 



Another larva, that had its bottle supplied with a 

 longer spray bent double, began at once to spin a 

 quantity of silk to the bent part of the stem, and to 

 the side and bottom of the bottle, thus forming a kind 

 of silken tent open at one side, and through this open- 

 ing I was able to observe all its movements from time 

 to time. 



Another spun for itself a sloping wall or screen of 

 silk, from the side to the middle of the bottom of the 

 bottle, enclosing two pieces of the waterweed fixed 

 within it; this was also open at one end. 



vol. ix. 6 



