EMBIlDiE. 
113 
especially in the thorax, the wings attached to segments that are in no 
way fused or adapted to the purposes.of flight. 
Very little is known of such fragile insects. The males are common 
at lights and are often found in houses. In the field, they are found 
on the surface of the ground, usually under stones or in some damp 
sheltered locality. They have been seen to prepare webs from threads 
which are produced by glands in the forefeet. This is a remarkable 
circumstance and very different from the methods of silk production 
general in the insect world. 
The nature of the food is unknown, but as the insects are rare and 
very few, they are not of economic importance, and while of interest 
to the naturalist, are not likely to be found except at a lamp indoors 
by any but a skilled observer in the field. 
One species (Oligotoma michaeli Mack) has been found in London 
and is believed to have been imported with orchids from India. 
Another species (0. saundersi , Westw.) (fig. 45) is described from 
Bengal (Trans. Linn. Soc., XVII, 337). 
Jili 8 
