CATERPILLARS. 165 



curtain. As this sort of covering is not sufficient for 

 concealment when the animal advances in growth, it 

 abandons the base of the leaf lor the middle, where 

 it doubles up one side in a very secure and ingenious 

 manner. 



Ifest of the neltle-leaf-rolling Caterpillar. 



We have watched this little architect begin and 

 finish his tent upon a nettle in our study, the whole 

 operation taking more than half an hour*. He began 

 by walking over the plant in all directions, examining 

 the leaves severally, as if to ascertain which was best 

 fitted for his purpose by being pliable, and bending 

 with the weight of his body. Having found one to 

 his mind, he placed himself along the mid -rib, to the 

 edge of which he secured himself firmly with the 

 pro-legs of his tail ; then stretching his head to the 

 edge of the leaf, he fixed a series of parallel cables 

 between it and the mid-rib, with another series cross- 

 ing these at an acute angle. The position in which 

 he worked was most remarkable, for he did not, as 

 might have been supposed, spin his cables with his 

 face to the leaf, but throwing himself on his back, 

 which was turned towards the leaf, he hung with his 

 whole weight by his first-made cables. This, by 

 drawing them into the form of a curve, shortened 

 them, and consequently pulled the edge of the leaf 

 down towards the mid-rib. The weight of his body 

 was not, however, the only power which he employed ; 

 for, using the anal pro-legs as a point of support, he 



