1868.] 175 
A LIFE HISTORY OF ORACILARIA 8YRINGELLA. 
BY CHARLES UEALT. 
(fiontinued from 'page 150.) 
These larvae show a great repugnance to feeding in an exposed si- 
tuation, and, indeed, will not do it, possibly from a wholesome fear of 
ichneumons ; if a larva be placed in a jar, on the outside of a leaf, 
and not covered by another leaf, it crawls underneath and spins a 
silken web, in which it then feeds ; but if a second leaf be placed over 
the first, the larva is quite content to feed between the two, taking, 
however, the precaution of fastening them together with silk. 
To recur, however, to the proceedings of the larva when it first 
ceases to be a miner. It pierces the upper cuticle, and draws its body 
through the hole and crawls to the under-side of another leaf, the tip 
of which it rolls downwards ; this it effects by spinning and fastening 
silken cords until it pulls the tip of the leaf under, causing it to touch 
the uuder-surface of the leaf : the larva then firmly fastens the tip 
down with silk, and then creeps out of the roll and crawls along the 
leaf till it has arrived near the centre of the cone, it then rapidly spins 
several short silken threads, which it fastens to the rolled portion of the 
leaf, and to that portion which remains flat ; it spins a number of such 
threads, aud then climbs up to the middle of these threads, and, holding 
on by its prologs, it stretches forth its anterior segments and spins and 
fastens other longer cords, its body, whilst thus occupied, being swayed 
backwards and forwards ; when these silken buttresses are completed, 
they have a slight resemblance to the shoring of a house, but the objects 
of the two are diametrically opposed ; the shoring of a house is to prop 
up and support, — but the silken structure fabricated by this larva is 
intended to pull down and i-etain in that position the rolled tip of the 
leaf; if the larva be then satisfied with the strength of the silken but- 
tress, it descends and enters the rolled leaf, but if the silken stay be 
not sufficiently strong, it spins two or three little silken cords at nearly 
equal distances, on these it crawls and continues spinning similar silken 
cords till it reaches the ends of the outside of its future habitation : 
it then turns back, and passing over the newly-spun cords, climbs up 
the large silken buttress near the centre of the rolled leaf,- it then 
strengthens the ties of the remaining portion in a similar manner ; all 
this being done with singular address, the larva never once touching 
the leaf with its body : it then hastens back to the new-made domicile, 
and proceeds to close up the two ends ; that done, it commences de- 
vouring the epiderraes of both the upper and under-sides of the leaf, 
which, in the rolled part, are in juxta position. 
