FUBTHER NOTES ON THE GENUS COLEOPHORA. 33 



number of living larvae of this species from various localities, 

 some taken by myself foi' comparison, and some sent to me by 

 different correspondents as other species. On July 16th and 17th 

 I noticed that several pairs of the imagines were in copula. The 

 position was the usual anal end to anal end with the heads turned in 

 diametrically opposite directions ; the wings were overlapping, but 

 which sex had the wings uppermost was not ascertained. When 

 disturbed by opening the lids of the glass-topped tinned boxes in 

 which they were bred, they were exceedingly active, but in no case did 

 they easily separate. On July 17th, close investigation of fresh elm 

 leaves, which had been placed in the boxes, showed that a number of 

 ova had been laid, in all cases singly, and mainly on the larger ribs, 

 both on the upper- and underside. The former position may, of 

 course, not have been natural, as the cases are usually found on the 

 lower side of a leaf, although one not infrequently meets with cases on 

 the upperside. One ovum was at the apex of one of the indentations 

 at the edge of the leaf. The females, when on the business of ovi- 

 position, ran about very actively with quivering wings, with the 

 abdomen bent down almost at right angles, and with the ovipositor 

 slightly exserted. When a position apparently suitable for the ovum 

 to be deposited was found, the legs were firmly placed, the wings held 

 parallel to the leaf-surface and the abdomen bent so that the ovipositor 

 was perpendicular. The laying of the ovum was then only the 

 matter of a moment. The ova are, as a rule, deposited either on the 

 midrib or on one of the chief ribs, and are laid as upright eggs, although 

 some are apparently placed on their sides from beingattached in the angles 

 between tlae ribs and the general leaf- surface. These ova stand on 

 end among the very numerous hairs with which the leaf-surface is 

 closely covered, and have apparently been thrust into their positions 

 with some force, as they frequently have irregular depressions varying 

 in length, shape and direction, caused no doubt when they were soft 

 and more impressionable, just after being deposited. 



The general shape of the eggs is ovoid, and they stand upon their 

 smaller end, which is irregularly truncate. The upper and larger end is 

 also somewhat truncate, but this is not so apparent as at the smaller end. 

 The height of the ovum is -S?!!!!!!., the diameter at the largest part to- 

 wards the upper end is •27mm., that of the smaller end at the truncation 

 •2mm. The whole surface is wrinkled very coarsely and irregularly 

 with strong projections and depressions. There appear to be curious 

 large papiibe on the base of the ovum, at the truncation, which stand 

 out very prominently under the microscope, when looked at laterally 

 against the light. These must, of course, be great aids in securing the 

 ovum on the rough surface of the leaf, so that one may almost suggest 

 that the adherence may be mechanical ; the irregular base of the 

 ovum fitting the irregular surface of the leaf, and the hairs of the leaf, 

 which are very irregular in direction, clasping the ovum in position. 

 There seems to be little or no adhesive fluid on the ova, as, in the case 

 of an ovum detached immediately after oviposition, I failed to make 

 it stand on end on a glass slide in its natural position. Of course, 

 the coldness of the glass may have solidified the extremely attenuated 

 pellicle of adhesive fluid, which no doubt is more or less present on 

 all ova at the time of exclusion. The micropyle is situated at the 

 centre of the larger upper end. The depression is only slight. It 



