BY ARTHUR DENDY, 275 



As I was away from Melbourne for some weeks during the summer, 

 I entrusted the eggs to the care of the Rev. W. Fielder, who most 

 kindly looked after them for me in my absence. Frequent atten- 

 tion was necessary in renewing the supply of moisture. 



On April 14th, 1892, only three eggs remained in the hatching 

 box, the others having been removed as they showed signs of 

 going bad. One of the remaining three had been showing dark 

 pigment inside for some days past. This egg I lemoved and 

 carefully dissected. I found the shell of a much darker (yellow) 

 colour than when laid, a good deal crumpled on the surface, and 

 very soft, as though beginning to decay away. The contained 

 embryo was removed and found to be in excellent condition, 

 although outside it there appeared under the microscope a great 

 many very fine threads, which I take to be the hyphse of a fungus. 

 Possibly this fungus might have ultimately killed the embiyo, 

 but the latter was so far advanced that it seemed to be on the 

 verge of hatching. It was enclosed within the usual transparent 

 delicate membrane lying within the thick shell. I could not 

 determine whether the fungal hyphse had penetrated witiiin this 

 inner membrane, but I think it very doubtful. The embryo was 

 tightly coiled up as in the previous case. When uncoiled it 

 measured about 5 mm. in length (exclusive of the antennae) and 

 1 mm. in breadth. All the appendages were developed, viz., 

 antennae, oral papillae, two pairs of jaws and fifteen pairs of 

 claw-bearing legs. The eyes were conspicuous at the bases of the 

 antennte, and the antennae themselves showed each about twenty 

 deeply pigmented annuli. The remainder of the body was nearly 

 white, but very distinct isolated pigment patches (chiefly indigo- 

 blue, with a few specks of orange) appeared scattered pretty 

 abundantly over the legs and back. The mouth was surrounded 

 by the very characteristic, thick, transversely furrowed lip. The 

 dermal papillae were very obvious and exhibited the characteristic 

 spines, the cuticle being very strongly developed. The claws on 

 the feet were very distinct. The alimentary canal was full of 

 granular food yolk. The specimen was stained with borax 

 carmine and mounted in Canada balsam. 



