Chapter IX. 



INSECTS FORMING HABITATIONS OF DETACHED LEAVES. 



The habitations of the insects which we have just 

 described consist of growing leaves, bent, rolled, 

 or pressed together, and fixed in their positions by 

 silken threads. But there are other habitations of a 

 similar kind which are constructed by cutting out 

 and detaching a whole leaf, or a portion of a leaf. We 

 have already seen how dexterously the upholsterer- 

 bees cut out small parts of leaves and petals with 

 their mandibles, and fit them into their cells. Some 

 of the caterpillars do not exhibit quite so much neat- 

 ness and elegance as the leaf-cutting bees, though 

 their structures answer all the purposes intended ; 

 but there are others, as we shall presently see, that 

 far excel the bees, at least, in the delicate minutiae 

 of their workmanship. We shall first advert to 

 those structures which are the most simple. 



Not far from Longchamps, in a road through the 

 Bois de Bologne, is a large marsh, which M. Reau- 

 mur never observed to be in a dry state even during 

 summer. This marsh is surrounded with very lofty 

 oaks, and abounds with pondweed, the water plant 

 named by botanists Potamogeton. The shining 

 leaves of this plant, which are as large as those of 

 the laurel or orange-tree, but thicker and more 

 fleshy, are spread upon the surface of the water. 

 Having pulled up several of these, about the middle 

 of June, M. Reaumur observed, beneath one of the 



