768 The American Naturalist. [ August,. 
advertised to continue their antics for about nine months. This is 
approximately correct. If some of them are put in a box and examined 
the following season their movements will have ceased. Small holes 
will be found in the seeds as though something had gnawed out. In 
the bottom of the box small moths will be found. Ifthe beans are 
opened while still active in each one will be found a worm or larva. 
snugly tucked away in the interior. One of these larva is shown in 
cut ¢ natural size. The worm is pale yellowish with a brown head, 
which has a triangular darker patch in the middle, and black mouth 
parts. There are eight true legs, six anterior and a single pair poste- 
rior and four pairs of false feet, pale pink at the ends. There is a pale 
brownish stripe down the back. Our specimens were examined Nov- 
ember Ist. The seed was entirely eaten, the pod only remaining, cut. 
e shows a cross section of one of the beans, the dotted portion was eaten. 
The worm was plump and fat, evidently having relished the oily seed, a 
taste we can hardly appreciate if the oil of these seeds has the some 
flavor and properties as Castor Oil. If these larve remain active until 
next summer they will have to live a long time on their accumulated 
fat, as their food supply was exhausted November Ist. Possibly their 
restlessness may be the throes of hunger. They probably go into the 
quiescent or pupa state before winter and remain inactive until time to 
transform the following summer. The worms do not entirely fill the 
space that was occupied by the seed and by suddenly changing their 
position they are able to give movements to the light seed pods they 
occupy. If the seeds are disturbed the worms become quiet for a time. 
This is an inborn instinct for self-preservation, like that of feigning 
death, so common among insects. 
These worms in due time change to the pupa state and finally emerge 
as small moths belonging to the order Lepidoptera, Family Tortricide, 
which embraces the Codling Moth and a host of other small moths 
many of which are more or less injurious. This species is known to 
entomologists as Graptolitha sebastiane Riley. 
We presume the moths lay their eggs in the young growing pods, as 
their is no evidence in the mature pods of the method of entrance. 
The eggs hatch and the young worms feed upon the developing seed 
and finally spend the winter in the cavity thus formed. They finally 
change to the quiescent stage and in due time transform to moths gnaw 
out and are ready to lay eggs again, thus completing the cycle of life. 
That which appears marvelous often becomes common place when viewed 
by the light of some natural cause. But the life history of this insect. 
regardlesss of the movements it causes in seeds is interesting, illustrat- 
