LETTERS FROM ALABAMA. 
283 
I had reason to think that this cocoon was used by 
the caterpillar as a shelter or' defence, while pro- 
jecting the three polished segments of its body to 
eat in the manner of Pliryganea^ for on suddenly 
opeuing the box I saw one draw his head within 
the cocoon at the lower end, vanishing just as I 
looked at him. This induced me, by making a 
hole near the top of the cocoon and touching the 
larva behind, to drive him clean out, as I have 
done a Phryganea^ at the lower end, which is 
tubular and open. But soon after I found by 
actual observation that the manners of the larva had 
the supposed resemblance to the Triclioptera^ for at 
night I saw that the caterpillar crawled about the 
leaves, dragging the tent after him as far as it would 
allow, the first three segments being projected. I 
could not but admire the circumstance, that this re- 
semblance between insects of very different orders 
was made still more complete by the bits of stick 
which were stuck about the case so profusely, and 
of which I could not discover the use. I at first 
thought they might have been the living twigs to 
which the web was first fastened, as a stay until it 
attained form^ and that they had afterwards been 
cut off by the caterpillar, to free the case when 
finished : but if so, there would surely have been 
but two or three, instead of a dozen or two. 
Perhaps they were intended to make it more rough 
looking and less observable. Those cases which I 
had cut partly open were soon accurately closed 
nearly as tight and strong as ever, by an internal 
coat of silk over the incision. 
On the evening of the 5th of October I was sur- 
prised at seeing in my box a little moth, which 
was fluttering his wings so swiftly as to render 
