Small stone collections

J. CundallThe Every-day Book of Natural History, Londres,, F. Warne, 1866, p. 202.

May 27 th.

The Caddis Worm, or Fly. – (Phryganea grandis)

Under favourable circumstances, and with a tolerable quantum of that grand requisite, patience, the Caddis may been constructing its most curious habitation; here is one just set to work to find security from it foes- a convenient piece of straw, some particles of wood, or fragments of stone, are collected and glued together in the form of a case, not quite so long as the body of the worm, and open at each end ; these tubes are then carefully and most accurated weighted, so that they may just lie on the bottom of the pool, but yet be easily move duo or down the water. The exterior case often presents a most strange appearance, being ornamental with small pieces of gravel, fragments of shells, etc.; the interior is carefully lined with a soft silk, and any necessary additions are afterwards from time to time made.

Mr Kingsley gives an interesting account of Caddis case building. He says, « One would begin with some pebbles, and then she would stick on a piece of green weed, and then she found a shell and stuc kit on too ; and then she stuck on a piece of rotten wood, and then a very small stone, and so on until she was patched all over like an Irishman’s coat. »

At your first look into the pool these pieces of wood or small stone collections appear to lie without life at the bottom, but movement is soon detected, and then the head of the larvae is seen obstrued from one end to grasp a particle of food, towards which the Caddis is propelled comes in view, the head and legs are speedily drawn within cover, and the grub escapes one of its foes;