844 Charles Paul Alexander 



tened over the ends of the vials by means of rubber bands, sufficient water 

 bcinji; added every day or two to restore the balance lost by evaporation. 

 If the specimens are fully grown or nearly so, they soon pupate and 

 finally emerge. 



Species that live in extremely rapid waters (as the tipuline larva 

 described on page 839) are almost impossible to rear. The best results 

 have been obtained by placing the fully grown larvae in the folds of 

 a saturated piece of cheesecloth in a jar, the jar being corked to prevent 

 any evaporation — which is here, as elsewhere, the most frequent source 

 of danger and death to the larvae. Several specimens of crane-fly larvae 

 may be placed in a single vial except in the case of the carnivorous forms 

 (Hexatomini, Pediciini), in which case care should be taken to isolate 

 single specimens lest they kill one another and the decaying of their 

 bodies destroy the remaining life in the vials. 



Mud-inhabiting forms 



The majority of crane-fly larvae are mud-inhabiting forms. Most 

 of these belong to the small and inconspicuous Limnobiinae, and are 

 rarely seen by the collector. To procure them it is necessary to sift 

 the mud of their haunts and examine the contents of the sieve with great 

 care. A small-mesh wire sieve is about the most satisfactory form to 

 use, and the mud can be washed in small quantities and the remaining 

 contents of the sieve easily scrutinized. As they are found, the larvae 

 can be placed in water in small watch crystals and finally removed to 

 individual breeding jars. The methods of breeding described above are 

 applicable to these, and if the larvae are large and nearly grown it is 

 not difficult to rear them. 



Fungus-inhabiting forms 



The forms inhabiting fungi (species of Limnobia and Ula, and some 

 others) are easily reared by placing the whole fungus in a large pint or 

 quart jar about one-fourth filled with pure sand. This sand takes up the 

 juices as the fungus decays, and at the same time furnishes a good place 

 for pupation of the species. The jars should be kept air-tight to retain 

 a. balance in moisture conditions. 



