sometimes extends beyond the back of the first epimeral plates. 

 The palps consist of five segments and are sometimes chelate. 

 These palps are of great value in identification and where possible a 

 side view of them should be taken. 



All the water-mites, as far as we know, deposit ova, and none 

 bring forth their young alive. But they do not all use the same 

 material on or in which to deposit their ova. A large number use 

 the leaves and stems of water-plants. Fiona and Airhenunis use 

 this method, depositing the eggs in masses covered with a gelatinous 

 film to protect them. This film becomes quite hard or horny, and 

 remains so until the escape of the larvre. The species of the genus 

 Eylais deposit their eggs round and round the stems of water-plants. I 

 have seen these ova in such quantities that the Elodea canadensis 

 on which I have found them deposited is quite pink with them. The 

 eggs of most mites are red or orange in colour, and this showing 

 through the gelatinous envelope gives a very strong pink appearance. 

 Some of the genus Unionicola deposit their eggs in the mantle of 

 fresh-water Mollusca, and those of Unionicola crassipes I have found 

 several times in fresh-water sponge. I have also found the ova of 

 Hyi/robates loni/ipalpis in the same material. Spercon usually deposit 

 their ova on stones or in the green slime on the stones. Species of 

 the genus Hydrarachna use a different method. They bore holes in 

 reeds with their mandibles and deposit the eggs inside. 



The length of time taken up by the incubation of the egg varies 

 from ten to forty days, according to the species; and is also 

 influenced by temperature and environment. I have found a great 

 difierence in the time of incubation in the same species, due, no 

 doubt, to these causes, for we must allow that breeding mites in a 

 small tank at home, must be quite different from their native 

 habitat in a river or pond. The vitality of these eggs is also very 

 great, a provision no doubt made against drought. Dr. George, 

 who first wrote about the water-mites in "Science Gossip" some years 

 ago, had a batch of eggs of an Kylais deposited in a glass bottle. 

 The water was thrown away, the bottle left to dry and was quite 

 forgotten. Many months afterwards the bottle was refilled with 

 water ; the young larvae which had remained in the bottle so long 

 forgotton, were immediately set free, apparently none the worse for 

 their long imprisonment in the protective film already mentioned. 



The larva when it leaves the egg is hexapod, having six legs 

 like insects. Some larvfe immediately make for the top of the 

 water and run about on the surface-film, while others remain under 

 water. Once while looking from a boat on the Norfolk Broads I 

 found the surface of the water literally covered with the larvae of 

 a water-mite. This patch of red larvae extended for quite a couple 

 of yards from the boat, svhich was resting at the time near a lot of 

 reeds at Sutton Broad. In this larval stage, as far as we know, 

 they all become parasitic on some other form of aquatic animal life. 



