Rail — The Biology of Stagmomantis Carolina. 7 



were gathered. These gave forth their young at the 

 usual time, at intervals between the 1st and 20th of 

 June.^ In a previous year's lot, when the eggs were 

 kept indoors, hatching occurred during May, while a few 

 egg-cases which were brought into the living room on De- 

 cember 13, and kept at a temperature of 52° to 78° F., 

 and occasionally moistened, gave forth active nymphs on 

 February 10. 



The emerging of the mantis was observed in many 

 cases during three seasons. In every case almost with- 

 out exception the insects left the ootheca during the early 

 morning. In many instances 6 A. M. found them already 

 emerged, and very seldom did they leave after 8 :30 A. M. 



Sharp (1895), p. 247, says that the last eggs deposited 

 are the first to hatch. In this species I find that the eggs 

 are deposited just as the egg-case is being made, and 

 consequently the eggs at the broad, rounded end of the 

 case are the first deposited, although the difference in 

 time is very slight indeed. If the last eggs laid are the 

 first to hatch, we should see all the emerging insects come 

 first from the pointed end of the case. As a matter of 

 fact, some egg-cases bring forth all of their young simul- 

 taneously and others on two, three or four mornings, 

 but all of my observations lead to the conclusion that in 

 this species the emergence of the nymphs occurs without 

 any regard to the priority of the deposition of the eggs. 



One may examine a nmnber of egg-cases at perhaps 

 6 A. M. and find them apparently ''dead as a door-nail;" 

 return in a quarter of an hour and find them teeming 

 with struggling young, all of a honey-yellow color. 

 Struggling young — yes, each one laboring to work its 

 way out of the egg-case and then struggling to free itself 

 from the bag-like membrane which encloses the body and 

 is in turn attached by a silken thread to the bottom of 

 the cell from which the mnnph has just emerged. 



' Riley recorded in 1869 that the eggs hatched in this locality between 

 June 10th and 20th. It is interesting to note that this date persists so 

 exactly after forty-three years. 



