28 BRITISH ENTOMOSTRACA. 



figure (t. I, f. 2). On the upper part a small black 

 point represents the eyes ; and the first pair of feet, or 

 rami, are very large, nearly as long as the animal itself, 

 without articulations, and with only a few hairs at their 



tt 



extremity. The antenna? are large, and project beyond 

 the edge of the shell, having three rather long setae at 

 their extremity, but the tail is not yet apparent. In fact 

 at this period of their life, those portions of the body 

 which in the adult are the largest, are scarcely visible, 

 whilst those which are then small are now largely deve- 

 loped. The motion of the little creature in the water is 

 more that of leaping than swimming. At the end of 

 twenty-four hours they have become of a white colour, 

 and about this time they undergo the first change of skin. 

 The body then is sharper interiorly, and there is the 

 appearance of a tail terminating in two points. The rami 

 are divided into three parts, each furnished with several 

 hairs. The branchial feet are also more visible, though 

 still incomplete, and the antennas, with the three setae, 

 are even more largely developed still ; the eye, too, has 

 become larger. After one or two davs more the animal 



O ^ 



assumes a yellowish colour, and the body is larger and more 

 pointed, while the rami and antennae have become smaller. 

 The eyes and the branchial feet, on the other hand, have 

 become more remarkable, and the tail begins to show 

 its terminating appendages (t. I, f. 3). They grow gra- 

 dually larger till about the fourth or fifth day, when they 

 have assumed their proper form, but not their full size. 

 The carapace has now its perfect shape, and upon its head 

 is seen a large green patch, in which maybe observed the 

 eyes, of a black colour. The antenna; are still large 

 enough to pass beyond the edge of the buckler, while the 

 rami, though not quite perfect, are now furnished with 

 their ordinary long appendages, but not articulated. The 

 mandibles arc visible, of a yellowish colour; the tail and 

 its long appendages are tolerably perfectly formed, and 

 the branchial feet nearly fully developed. At the end of 

 eight or ten davs thev have acquired considerable size, 



