202 THE AUSTRALIAN NATURALIST, 
tacked by a parasite, which destroyed it when a pupa. 
The cocoon is of very thick dark-matted silk; but despite 
the profusion of silk, it is most difficult to unwind, even 
in hot water, though several allied Indian silkworms pro- 
dueé good silk. The moth cuts its way out with a sharp 
spine on the shoulder, the friction sounding like the enaw- 
ing of a mouse. The moths emerged in the early part of 
February, and eggs laid in the cages were hatching on 
February 16th. 
5. Cocoons of cup moths, Limacodes longerans and 
Doratifera vulnerans. The cocoons of the cupmoths are 
entirely different to those of the silkworm moths. They 
are smooth and hard, almost like the twig itself. These 
oval tough cocoons are attached on their sides to the twig. 
The apex of the cocoon forms a circular lid, which the 
larva gums down securely, but which is loosened and 
pushed out by the moth when ready to emerge. 
6. Cocoon of the Ribbed Casemoth, Thyridopteryx 
herricht. This is not only a cocoon, since the caterpillar 
begins to build it, when very tiny, as a little cap, travelling 
everywhere with it, with only the head and forelegs peep- 
ing out, enlarging it as needed. When the caterpillar 
is fully grown it fastens its little home to a twig with a_ 
silken wrapping, and pupates within. The male, when 
matured, cuts his way through the bottom of the case, a 
perfect winged moth; but the female never leaves her 
home, never growing wings, and is just a wingless, de- 
formed sort of creature. Her eggs hatch in her silken 
bag also. 
7. Cocoon of Metura elongata. ‘his casemoth also 
does not wait to be a fully-grown caterpillar to use the 
protection of its silk. When very small, it spins a silken 
bag, strengthened with short bits of stick nibbled from the 
food plant matted in; the lower ones often being longer 
than the case. It looks a heavy case for a caterpillar 
to carry constantly. 
8. Cocoon of the Faggot Casemoth, Hntometa igno- 
bilis. This, too, is a casemoth; but in this instance the 
bag is more symetrically woven, all the stout sticks being 
laid parallel to each other, so that it looks like a -bundle 
of faggots, hence its name, 
