HABITATIONS OF INSECTS. 



389 



detached them from the surrounding portion, it joins with 

 silk so artfully that the seams are scarcely discoverable even 

 with a lens, so as to compose a case or horn, cylindrical in 

 the middle, its anterior orifice circular, its posterior triangular. 

 Were this dwelling cylindrical in every part, the form of the 

 two pieces that compose it would be very simple ; but the 

 different shape of the two ends renders it necessary that each 

 side should have peculiar and dissimilar curvatures ; and 

 Reaumur assures us, that these are as complex and difficult 

 to imitate as the contours of the pieces of cloth that compose 

 the back of a coat. Some of this tribe, whose proceedings I 

 had the pleasure of witnessing a short time since upon the 

 alders in the Hull Botanic Garden, more ingenious than their 

 brethren, and willing to save the labour of sewing up two 

 seams in their dwelling, insinua.te themselves near the edge 

 of a leaf instead of in its middle. Here they form their 

 excavation, mining into the very crenatures between the two 

 surfaces of the leaf, which, being joined together at the edge, 

 there form one seam of the case, and from their dentated 

 figure give it a very singular appearance, not unlike that of 

 some fishes which have fins upon their backs. The opposite 

 side they are necessarily forced to cut and sew up ; but even 

 in this operation they show an ingenuity and contrivance 

 worthy of admiration. The moths which cut out their suit 

 from the middle of the leaf wholly detach the two surfaces 

 that compose it before they proceed to join them together ; 

 the serrated incisions made by their teeth, which, if they do 

 not cut as fast, in this respect are more efiective than any 

 scissors, interlacing each other so as to support the separated 

 portions until they are properly joined. But it is obvious 

 that this process cannot be followed by those moths which 

 cut out their house from the edge of a leaf. If these were 

 to detach the inner side before they had joined the two pieces 

 together, the builder as well as his dwelling would inevitably 

 fall. They therefore, before making any incision, prudently 

 run (as a sempstress would call it) loosely together in 

 distant points the two membranes on that side. Then 

 putting out their heads they cut the intermediate portions, 

 carefully avoiding the larger nerves of the leaf ; afterwards 



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