The entomologist's text book : an introduction to the natural history, structure, physiology and classification of insects, including the Crustacea and Arachnida . many caterpillars in forming theh cocoons, never-theless says of this, that it emploie une adiesse incon-cevable in forming its case, which is of a white colom*,and of a long oval form, having its upper surface ornamentedwith seven upright ridges. Unlike most cocoons, however,it is applied along the flat under-side to the leaf upon which it is placed, so that it forms only an arc of a circle. The firststep taken by the larva is to e
The entomologist's text book : an introduction to the natural history, structure, physiology and classification of insects, including the Crustacea and Arachnida . many caterpillars in forming theh cocoons, never-theless says of this, that it emploie une adiesse incon-cevable in forming its case, which is of a white colom*,and of a long oval form, having its upper surface ornamentedwith seven upright ridges. Unlike most cocoons, however,it is applied along the flat under-side to the leaf upon which it is placed, so that it forms only an arc of a circle. The firststep taken by the larva is to erect about a score of smallupright silken pahsades, arranged in an oval position all SINGULARLY CONSTRUCTED COCOONS. 221 roimd its body; these are in no ways employed in the con-struction of the cocoon itself, and seem only to be erectedto defend the larva whilst working. Near to one end ofthis inclosure, the larva now commences its cocoon in themanner represented in the above figure. The mode in which the ridges of this cocoon are formedwith perfect regularity, is indeed inconceivable. Some ideamay, however, be obtained of it from the two Here m, i, e, represent three longitudinal ridges, and m i,I E, the intermediate space ; the caterpillar, commencing atE, extends a thread to h, from h to i forming an angle, fromI it then proceeds to k, and from k to h, forming anotheracute angle, and then from h to y, and y to i, forminganother obtuse angle. It then proceeds in the same mannerfrom I to M, as it had from E to i, and in this manner pro-ceeds until it has nearly formed half its case, when turninground it begins at the other end, and at length unites thetwo halves together, thus inclosing itself, as Lyonnetsays, en une jolie cage of net-work, which occupies onlyhalf an hour in the construction, but which is subsequentlyrendered much more firm by a strong layer of silk within. The other instance which I propose to notice, is that ofanother small moth {Microset
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Keywords: ., bookau, bookcentury1800, booksubjectcrustacea, booksubjectinsects
