MINING CATERPILLARS. 233 



An inquiring friend of Reaumur having found 

 one of these insects floating about in its muff-tent 

 upon water, concluded that they fed upon aquatic 

 plants* but he was soon convinced that it had only 

 been blown down by an accident, which must fre- 

 quently happen, as willows so often hang over water. 

 May it not be that the buoyant materials of the tent 

 were intended to furnish the little inhabitant with a 

 life-boat, in which, when it chanced to be blown into 

 the water, it might sail safely ashore and regain its 

 native tree ? 



Leaf-mining Caterpillars. 

 The process of mining between the two mem- 

 branes of a leaf is carried on to more extent by mi- 

 nute caterpillars allied to the tent-makers above 

 described. The tent-maker never deserts his house, 

 except when compelled, and therefore can only mine 

 to about half the length of his own body ; but the 

 miners now to be considered make the mine itself 

 their dwelling-place, and as they eat their way they 

 lengthen and enlarge their galleries. A few of 

 these mining caterpillars are the progeny of small 

 weevils (Curculionidte) , some of two-winged flies 

 (Diptera), but the greater number are produced from 

 a genus of minute moths (CEcophora, Lath.), which, 

 when magnified, appear to be amongst the most 

 splendid and brilliant of nature's productions, vying 

 even with the humming-birds and diamond-beetles 

 of the tropics, in the rich metallic colours which be- 

 spangle their wings. Well may Bonnet call them 

 " tiny miracles of nature," and regret that they are 

 not en grand* 



There are few plants or trees whose leaves may not, 

 at some season of the year, be found mined by these 



* Bound, Contempt, de la Nature, Part xii. 



