THE ENTOMOLOGIST’S WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER. 
85 
liarity profit by it; a sharp blow on the 
trunk of the tree causes a hail-storm of 
catkins, which they collect and carry 
away pell-mell, well assured that several 
of them contain young larva of the 
Xanthice. When the young larva is two 
lines in diameter it does not quit the 
catkin, but conceals itself among the 
stamens, and is often almost covered 
with the pollen, but, as it seems to have 
a partiality for the axis of the catkin, 
generally when it has eaten one com- 
pletely it goes to another flower. It 
thrives well on this food, even when full 
grown, if we take the trouble to furnish 
it always with fresh catkins, but as natu- 
rally the catkins do not remain on long, 
the larvtE descend to the foot of the tree 
and change entirely their food and mode 
of life, for they attack the low plants 
which they find within reach, and feed 
on them like any other larvae. We have 
already noticed, in the genus Ceraslis, 
this modification, brought on by age, in 
the habits of the larvae, and here there 
is even a better reason for it, since the 
food is no longer attainable. 
The habits of the third group I am not 
able to give. (Vol. I. p. 391.) 
Family Cosmid;e. 
This is a newly created family, but it 
has seemed to me indispensable, as I 
have endeavoured to show in my Essay ; 
the genera w’hich compose it ill agreeing 
with the Orthosid® and Noctuo-Bomby- 
cidse, where they were previously placed. 
The larvae of the Cosmid® are as 
elongate as, but generally less cylindric 
than, those of the Orthosid®, or at least 
their incisions are more profound; the 
thoracic plates are well marked ; their 
colours are generally lively and their 
markings distinct. They have a mode 
of life altogether exceptional, since they 
fasten together the leaves at the extremity 
of the branches, and pass nearly all their 
life in this retreat; but one thing which 
explains the slight degree of influence 
which this secluded life has on their 
colour and organization, is, that the 
greater part of them fasten these leaves 
in so loose a manner that the air and 
light freely penetrate into their cell ; so 
that their object appears rather to be to 
contrive a little shade in the exposed 
portion of the tree where they are than 
to escape from ichneumons or the im- 
pression of external agents. All these 
larvie hatch early in the year, and have 
only one brood in the year ; they 
undergo their metamorphoses in little 
oval cocoons spun on the surface of the 
ground, and surrounded with grains of 
earth. The chrysalis is generally rather 
short, and almost always powdered with 
that bluish or violet efflorescence which 
we remark in the genus Caiocala. 
In the perfect state the Cosmid® are 
very elegant insects, generally rather 
below the middle size, with smooth and 
silky wings and distinct markings. They 
fly with vivacity at sunset, and are found 
where the common trees on which they 
feed grow. (Vol. II. p. 2.) 
Tethea. 
This very natural genus is easily re- 
cognized by the hooked form of the fore 
wings and the crested thorax. The larv® 
live in much the same style as those of 
the genus Cyaiatophora, on willow and 
poplar, between two leaves tied together 
with silk. They are met with in spring, 
and they change to chrysalis in a soft 
cocoon on the surface of the earth. 
(Vol. II. p. 2.) 
Euperia. 
The larv® of this genus form an ex- 
ception, as it appears, in this family, as 
they do not tie the leaves together with 
silk for shelter : I say as it appears, be- 
cause I have never had the opportuniiy 
of rearing them ; and as Treitschke says 
nothing particular of the only species 
which is known, one would infer that it 
