MELITyEA I. 
The larvae were immediately placed upon a plant of Chelone, and in obtain¬ 
ing this I noticed many little webs already constructed. One colony which I 
encountered was in a state of great agitation, its members running about wildly 
and throwing their heads and two thirds the body in a jerking way from right 
to left, all m same manner and like so many automata. The cause of the alarm 
seemed to be a small crimson ichneumon fly which was hovering about, and which 
alighted on one of the leaves which protruded from the web. My presence 
frightened it away, however, so that I foiled to see its mode of attack. 
Placing the young larvoe on the leaves, some at the top and some well down 
the stem, each lot began at once the construction of a web ; in case of the ter¬ 
minal leaves, drawing them together. While part were busy at this, others were 
eating the pulp, and even gnawing the midrib, by which the leaves easily yielded 
and were soon folded over and incorporated in the web. Those on one of the 
lower leaves in same way contrived to double the leaf over, but I noticed that 
m a few hours all those which began life low down the stem had climbed to the 
upper leaves and joined the colony there. As the larv® grew, leaf after leaf was 
inclosed, a detachment working at the next pair of leaves below, which were 
taken possession of by the colony as soon as the upper ones were consumed. 
lese first webs were slight, and quite transparent, the warp composed of long: 
regular and colorless threads, which ran from the stem to the middle of the next 
leaves below, and were bound together by innumerable cross-threads which took 
no regularity whatever. Two or more holes were left for egress, and the eat¬ 
ing away of the leaf made other openings. The web at this stage does not resist 
rain very well, and m a long continued storm more or less destruction of the 
arv® follows. But as soon as the skies clear, the survivors set themselves at 
repairing or rebuilding altogether. 
Six days after leaving the egg, the larv® began to pass the 'first moult, which 
process continued for two days before all the colony had changed, and forthwith 
they eat voraciously, stripping the leaves much faster than they could form a 
web to cover them. Many of the larv® during this stage remained outside in 
small clusters, and fed on separate leaves, even on separate stems; but as the 
me for the seC01ld moult drew near, they came together and constructed a loose 
web, within which the moult took place. 
About the middle of the next stage, on a bright day, I noticed that eaclrof my 
colonies was suddenly active in spinning, and it at once occurred to me that they 
anticipated a storm and were providing against it. Before night much more 
substantial and larger webs than had been hitherto constructed were ready for 
occupation.. Dining the night a steady rain set in and continued for twenty-four 
hours, but it found each colony safely housed. The next day was clear, and 
