Natural history of insects : comprising their architecture, transformations, senses, food, habits--collection, preservation and arrangement . lects a smooth young branch * Kirby in Linn. Trans, vol. v. p. 246, and Introd. IV. 17* 198 INSECT ARCHITECTURE. of the oak, near an offgoing of the branchlets whoseangle may afford it some protection. It then measuresout, with its body for a rule, the space destined forits structure, the basement of which is of a triangularform, with the apex at the lower end. The buildingitself is composed of small rectangular strap-shapedpieces of the outer ba
Natural history of insects : comprising their architecture, transformations, senses, food, habits--collection, preservation and arrangement . lects a smooth young branch * Kirby in Linn. Trans, vol. v. p. 246, and Introd. IV. 17* 198 INSECT ARCHITECTURE. of the oak, near an offgoing of the branchlets whoseangle may afford it some protection. It then measuresout, with its body for a rule, the space destined forits structure, the basement of which is of a triangularform, with the apex at the lower end. The buildingitself is composed of small rectangular strap-shapedpieces of the outer bark of the branch cut out fromthe immediate vicinity; the insect indeed never tra-vels farther for materials than the length of its ownbody. Upon the two longest sides of the triangularbase it builds uniform walls, also of a triangularshape, and both gradually diverging from each otheras they increase in height. These are formed withso much mathematical precision, that they fit exactlywhen they are afterwards brought into contact. Assoon as the little architect has completed these walls,which resemble very much the feathers of an arrow,. Magnified Cells ofPyralis Strigulalis? The walls before they are joined. 6. Walls joined, but notclosed ai top. c. Side view of structure complete. OAK-BARK CATERPILLAR, 199 it proceeds to draw them together in a manner si-milar to that which the leaf-rolhng caterpillars employin constructing their abodes, by pulling them withsilken cords till they bend and converge. Evenwhen the two longest sides are thus joined, there isan opening left at the upper end, which is united ina similar manner. When the whole is finished, it re-quires close inspection to distinguish it from thebranch, being formed of the same materials, andhaving consequently the same colour and , indeed, may be supposed, with somejustice, to be the final object of the insect in pro-ducing this appearance, the same principle being ex-tensively exemplified in numerou
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookidnaturalhistoryof01bos, booksubjectinsects
