Chap. V. LEAF-ROLLING CATERPILLARS. 
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dull slaty colour and belongs to the Lithosiide group 
of the silk-worm family (Bombycidse). When the cater- 
pillar begins its work, it lets itself down from the tip 
of the leaf which it has chosen, by spinning a thread 
of silk, the thickness of which it slowly increases as it 
descends. Having given the proper length to the cord, 
it proceeds to weave its elegant bag, placing itself in the 
centre and spinning rings of silk at regular intervals, 
connecting them at the same time by means of cross 
threads ; so that the whole, when finished, forms a loose 
web, with quadrangular meshes of nearly equal size 
throughout. The task occupies about four days : when 
finished, the enclosed caterpillar becomes sluggish, its 
skin shrivels and cracks, and there then remains a 
motionless chrysalis of narrow shape, leaning against 
the sides of its silken cage. 
Many other kinds are found at Ega belonging to the 
same cocoon-weaving family, some of which differ from 
the rest in their caterpillars possessing the art of fabri- 
cating cases with fragments of wood or leaves, in which 
they live secure from all enemies whilst they are feed- 
ing and growing. I saw many species of these ; some 
of them knitted together, with fine silken threads, 
small bits of stick, and so made tubes similar to those 
of caddice-worms ; others (Saccophora) chose leaves 
for the same purpose, forming with them an elongated 
bag open at both ends, and having the inside lined 
with a thick web. The tubes of full-grown caterpillars 
of Saccophora are two inches in length, and it is at this 
stage of growth that I have generally seen them. They 
feed on the leaves of Melastomse, and as, in crawling, 
