Vol. XI. November, 1906. No. 6 



BIOLOGICAL BULLETIN 



THE HISTOLYSIS OF THE MUSCULATURE OF 

 CULEX PUNGENS DURING METAMORPHOSIS. 1 



FRANCIS A. HULST, M.D. 



INTRODUCTION. 



The phenomena attending the metamorphism of insects has 

 attracted the attention of biologists for many years. The marked 

 contrast which the larval form bears to the adult insect was alone 

 sufficient, at first, to attract the observation of naturalists. Since 

 Metschnikoff's work in 1883 setting forth the theory of phago- 

 cytosis, much has been done to determine the role of the phago- 

 cytes in the development of organisms, especially such as exhibit 

 a transformation of form and function in their ontogenetic proc- 

 esses, after leaving the egg and entering upon an independent life. 

 But in spite of much and careful study certain phases of the prob- 

 lem of metamorphosis are far from solved. It is the purpose of 

 this paper to set forth the cytological phenomena associated with 

 metamorphosis as found in Citlcx pnngens, paying particular atten- 

 tion to phagocytosis in relation to the histolysis of the muscula- 

 ture. The work was done during the winters of I9O2-'O3 and 

 1903 '04 in the Zoological Laboratories of Syracuse University, 

 under the directon of Dr. Chas. W. Hargitt, whose supervision 

 of the work, as well as the valuable aid and suggestions of Dr. 

 Smallwood, are gratefully acknowledged. 



METHODS. 



Material was collected during the summer months of 1902 

 and 1903 and fixed by several methods. Picro-sulphuric acid, 

 corrosive sublimate and Zenker's fluid gave good results. It 



1 Contributions from the Zoological Laboratory, Syracuse University. 



277 



