172 .January, 



increased so that the white sutures between the segmental plates show 

 conspicuously, especially as there is a tendency on the part of the 

 animal to curve its body, and bring the sutures more into relief. A 

 second egg is attacked and more or less completely exhausted of its 

 contents, Avheu a period of rest ensues, the triungulin skin splits 

 along the back and there issues the Second Larva — white, soft, with 

 reduced legs and quite different in general appearance from the first. 

 This moult is experienced about the eighth day from the first taking 

 of nourishment. The animal now naturally lies in a curved position, 

 but, if extracted fi-om the egg-pod, will stretch itself and move with 

 great activity, reminding one very strongly of many Carabid larvae, 

 for which reason I would designate this as the Carahidoid stage of the 

 second larva. After feeding for about another week, a second moult 

 takes place, the skin, as before, splitting along the back and the new 

 larva, hunching, out of it until the extremities are brought together 

 and released almost simultaneously. This kind of moulting, which is 

 characteristic of our blister-beetles up to the pseudo-pupal state, is 

 exceptional among insects, the skin being ordinarily worked backward 

 from the head. The modification at this moult is slight. The mouth- 

 parts and legs become rudimentary and the body takes on more fully 

 the clumsy aspect of the typical Lamellicorn larva, for which reason I 

 designate this as the Scarahceidoid stage of the second larva. 



Another six or seven days elapse, and the scarabseidoid skin is rent 

 and shed with but slight modification in the form and characters of 

 the animal. In this, the Ultimate stage of the second larva, the 

 creature grows apace, its head being constantly bathed in the rich 

 juices of the locust eggs, which it now rapidly sucks or more or less 

 comj)letely devours. The colour is more yellowish than it was before, 

 and the power to stretch and travel on the venter on an even surface 

 is still retained. In another week it forsakes the remnants of the 

 pabular mass, and, by burrowing a short distance in the clear soil, 

 avoids the deleterious decaying influences of these egg remnants. In 

 the soil it forms a smooth cavity, within which it lies stretched on one 

 side, motionless and gradually contracting. The skin separates and 

 becomes loose at the end of the third or fourth day, when it splits on 

 the top of the head and thoracic joints and is worked toward the 

 extremity, but never fully shed. The mouth-parts and legs are now 

 quite rudimentary and tuberculous, the soft skin rapidly becomes rigid 

 and of a deeper yellow colour, and we have what has been called the 

 semi-pupa. The term pseudo-pupa given it by Fabrc is more appi'O- 

 priate, and I should prefer myself to call it the Goarctate Larva, for 



