:}4' Proceed 1 1 Kjs of the Royal Society of Victoria. 



developed Ibv more than ten weeks after the egg had heen 

 laid and did not show the least sign of " going to the bad." 



I need hcirdly say that during the heat of the summer 

 months I found it a very difficult matter to keep the eggs in 

 a suitable condition, of moisture, especially as I had no 

 ])i'evious experience to guide me. Hence it is not to be 

 wondered at that the majority of the eggs perished, shrivell- 

 ing u]) and being attacked by a mould. As I was away 

 from Melbourne for some weeks during the summer I entrus- 

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

 kindly looked after them for me in my absence. Fiequent 

 attention was necessary in renewing the supply of nioisture. 



On April 14, 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 ])igment inside for some days ]iast. This 

 egg I removed 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 cfintained embryo was removed and 

 found to be in excellent condition, although outside it there 

 appeared under the raicrosco])e a great many very fine 

 threads, which I take to be the hypha; of a fungus. Possibly 

 this fungus might have ultimately killed the embryo 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 within 

 this inner membrane but I think it very doubtful. The 

 embr3'o was tightl}^ coiled up as in the previous case. When 

 uncoiled it measured about 5 mm. in length (exclusive of the 

 antennse) and 1 mm. in breadth, ^^i the appendages were 

 developed, viz., antennte, oral papillae, two pairs of jaws and 

 fifteen pairs of claw-bearing legs. The eyes were conspicuous 

 at the bases of the antennae, 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 (chiefiy indigo blue, with a few 

 specks of orange) appeared scatteied pretty abundantly over 

 the legs and back. The mouth was surrounded by the very 

 characteristic, thick, transversely furrowed Ii]3. The dermal 

 j)apill?e 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 



