16 LIFE STORIES OF AUSTRALIAN INSECTS. 



resembling transparent rose petals, with a little 

 notch at the base. (Plate 3, Fig. 2.) Some are 

 linear, and some are rounded. The scales are 

 modified hairs flattened out to form a soft covering 

 over the surface. 



Silver Fish have very free movement and can 

 slip into cracks and disappear with great speed. 

 The scales are smooth and give the surface a slip- 

 pery feel which enables the insects to slip away 

 when seized, especially as the scales can easily be 

 rubbed off. 



The genus Lcpisma (Plate 3, Fig. i) is the com- 

 mon silver fish. We kept one in captivity, and 

 it moulted, for the skin was seen : on looking a little 

 later the skin had disappeared — eaten by the silver 

 fish. 



Some species are said to eat paper of books, but 

 it is more than likely that they eat the paste which 

 fastens the leaves. 



We kept a silver fish in a jar for 9 months, feed- 

 ing it on paste which was given in the form of 

 coatings of paste on small pieces of paper (we dipp- 

 ed the paper strips in paste). These pieces were 

 nibbled by the silver fish. 



Another time we found a silver fish swimming 

 round in a jar of water. We rescued it, but 

 found that it went back to the water again almost 

 immediately. We left it there and on our return 

 some hours later it was gone. Whether it was 

 able to get out or was rescued by some one else 

 is still a mystery. 



The second Sub-family is CoHembola, less known 



