LIFE HISTORY OF DESMOGXATHUS FUSCA. 269 



returned to the eggs and placed herself among them (Fig. 6). 

 Three larvae and fifteen unhatched eggs were counted at this 

 time; it is probable that two larva? had already escaped from the 

 nest, however, as a subsequent examination of the egg envelopes 

 after all had hatched showed the entire number of eggs to have 

 been twenty. The larvae were very active and crawled about 

 over the moist body of the mother; when disturbed they made 

 quick jerky jumps among the loose debris of pine needles and 

 decaying leaves upon which the eggs were lying. Two of the 

 larvae were killed at this time and were found to measure 15 and 

 15.5 mm. respectively (stage A of the subsequent description). 



FIG. 6. Sketch of an adult female Desmognaihus fusca with batch of hatching 

 eggs. Drawn Sept. 25, 1907, by H. H. Wilder. Approximately life size. 



The whole mass of soil was placed undisturbed in a small round 

 glass terrarium, and the eggs, the remaining larva, and the 

 adult were covered with some large wet leaves. A shallow 

 crystallizing dish, filled with water and buried to the brim in the 

 dirt at the bottom of the terrarium, was provided to take the 

 place of the brook into w r hich, if left undisturbed out of doors, 

 the larvae would presumably have found their way. Water 

 was added to make the soil as thoroughly moist as in the natural 

 habitat. 



For five days the hatching continued at the rate of two or 

 three a day. During this time the behavior of the mother and 

 the young was frequently observed. In the course of the first 

 24 hours the position of the egg mass was entirely changed, 

 probably owing to the gradual shifting due to the movements of 

 the mother. After two days the mother no longer remained in 

 contact with the eggs, but she stayed nearby in a burrow which 

 she had made in the loose soil; she was usually found lying in 



