MACALISTER ON SOME LARVA CASES OF OIKETICUS. 



133 



differs from that figured by Mr. Westwood, as before mentioned, in the 

 structure of its stalk, and, secondly, in its not being so prominently 

 keeled on its surface. 



The fourth species I have identified with the case of 0. Subneri, 

 figured by Westwood.* This specimen measures lj inch, and is ovato- 

 lanceolate in outline, and perforate at both extremities. Its wall is 

 constructed of a felt mass similar to that already referred to, and its 

 oral end is wider than its distal, which, though perforated, is narrower 

 and somewhat tubular ; the wall is garnished with numerous pendulous 

 twigs, mostly placed in a longitudinal direction, but a few being hung 

 obliquely. Although these appendages are only attached by a very 

 small point of their length, yet they are firmly tied, so as to be torn off 

 with considerable difficulty. These ornaments are of two different 

 kinds, one set superiorly, long, light, brownish, and slender or flattened 

 twigs ; and the second, below which are leaves or phyllodia, short, flat, 

 and acuminated. These are of use in concealing from predaceous 

 birds the existence within the body of a soft caterpillar, making the 

 case appear like a cluster of withered leaves. Their attached end is 

 always towards the mouth end, and those nearest the neck of the sac 

 overlap by their free extremities the attached ends of those more remote, 

 and thus in progression they will oppose no barrier to the onward move- 

 ment of the creature. This case has a slight downy lining, and con- 

 tained the dried remains of the larva similar to that described and 

 figured by Mr. Westwood.f 



The fifth case (Fig. 2) belongs to another spe- 

 cies of this genus as yet undescribed; it is elon- 

 gate-oval in shape, the widest end being below ; 

 this is attached to the branch of a tree, probably 

 an acacia, and is of a brownish grey colour, ex- 

 tremely soft, and light yellow within ; a whitish 

 yellow down forms a thick and copious padding 

 in the interior, and a few fragments of the pupa- 

 rium existed at the upper end ; long, slender 

 twigs, few in number, ornament the outer side 

 near the neck, and a number of thin, flat, cor- 

 tical-looking dry flakes, irregular in outline, and 

 firmly but loosely hanging on the wall. The 

 species to which this seems most closely allied is 

 the first unnamed case figured by Mr. West- 

 wood, \ but it differs in many particulars, in not 

 being leaf-covered, in not being similar in shape, 

 being more distinctly fusiform, and thus may 

 belong to a new species which might be provi- 

 sionally named Oiketicus Careyi, after the disco- 

 verer of the case. 



Fig. 2. 



* Op.cit., PI. 26. 

 X Loc.cit., PI. 34, Fig. 5. 

 VOL. V. 



f "Proc.Zool.Soc," p. 228. 



