276 NATURAL HISTORY. [cH. XX. 



ever, the first author who traced the insect from the 

 egg to the perfect state. The German naturalist 

 Rdsel was also equally successful ; and he has ilfus- 

 trated the subject with a complete series of figures. 

 It appears that the female deposites about a dozen 

 white slimy eggs, of a rather large size in propor- 

 tion to the size of the insect. According to the 

 last-named author, these eggs are deposited at ran- 

 dom, but we shall subsequently find that this is 

 scarcely correct. During the summer the young 

 larvae burst forth from the egg at the end of five 

 or six days ; at their birth they are white, and 

 subsequently assume a reddish tinge. They are 

 long, cylindric, and destitute of legs, so that, in 

 fact, they resemble small worms. They are ex- 

 tremely active, and constantly in motion, rolling 

 themselves up in a spiral or serpentine form ; the 

 body is distinctly divided into thirteen rings, and 

 the head is scaly, and furnished with a pair of very 

 small antennae and a mouth ; the last segment of 

 the body is also furnished with several small ap- 

 pendages, which are employed in locomotion. 

 Down the back of these larvae may be observed 

 a longitudinal vessel, similar to that which is per- 

 ceived along the back of the silkworm. It is stated 

 that these larvae feed upon the fleshy portions of 

 feathers, and the blood of animals, and that they 

 are found in the greatest profusion in dove-cots. 



From the recent investigations of M. Defrance, 

 however, it seems questionable whether Latreille 

 has not fallen into some error in these statements 

 — at all events, we should not be surprised if some 

 of our ladies, who allow their lapdogs to repose on 

 their sofas, do not endeavour to clear up some of 

 the many points in the history of these insects 

 which yet remain. The eggs, from eight to twelve 

 in number, are of an oblong form, of an equal size, 

 and rounded at each end ; they are quite smooth 

 and dry, capable, upon the least motion, of rolling 



