HYDEOCAMPA STAGNATA. 105 



having firmly secured itself between the floating 

 extremities of the same two leaves. Onwards from 

 day to day I could distinguish the positions of others 

 just beneath the surface, and some quite low down in 

 the water, with minute air-bubbles clinging to some 

 of their abodes. 



They now began to greatly ravage the plants, 

 pieces cut from the tips of the leaves and other 

 portions being often found floating on the surface. 

 Occasionally 1 partly opened some of their residences 

 to obtain a peep at the inmates, and found them 

 steadily growing; one of these tenements I cut off on 

 the 27th of April, and placed it in a saucer of water 

 to take a figure of it. It had been constructed by 

 drawing the two edges of a leaf partly towards each 

 other for the length of nearly an inch, and by joining 

 to them with a spinning of silk some parts of two 

 other adjacent leaves, on both of which the larva had 

 fed occasionally, advancing its head for this purpose 

 as far as it chose. While my attention was engaged on 

 its appearance, I saw five little pellets of frass sud- 

 denly ejected from it, which convinced me that the 

 occupant was in a proper state for examination, so I 

 proceeded to pull the construction to pieces, and to 

 expose the larva, which now measured three-quarters 

 of an inch in length. After being turned out of its 

 tenement into the water it seemed not the least 

 incommoded, but without once approaching the sur- 

 face, or causing any air-bubble, it walked about on 

 the saucer at the bottom of the water, raising its head 

 and extending it as though searching for tbe Spar- 

 ganium, and when two or three small fragments were 

 given to it, soon connected them together with silk 

 threads ; presently, however, not finding them suffi- 

 cient, it grew discontented and wandered about until 

 it was restored to the growing plants, when it at once 

 crept between two floating leaves, and made itself 

 snug again in a new habitation. After this, at inter- 

 vals, I disturbed one or two more, and was unlucky 



