128 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



veniently rest on their own egg-shells and attack all the un- 

 hatched ova within reach. As they are extremely voracious 

 from birth, this may result in all being lost, except those that 

 are lucky enough to hatch simultaneously. This happened with 

 the first batch I possessed, numbering thirty-nine ova, from 

 which I only secured some eight or nine larvae. I have a note 

 at the time that the larvae remained motionless on their egg- 

 shells for some considerable time, and that I could not discover 

 what they were doing. That is some five or sis years ago. I 

 know now, having had an exactly similar experience only last 

 season, and shall always take care in future to remove the young 

 larvae immediately they emerge. They are not so liable to 

 attack one another later, unless short of food ; or unless one 

 individual deliberately gets in another's way ; but they will do 

 so at all stages of growth, even when the victim is spinning. 



I could not discover more than two changes of skin in my 

 larvae, and from the observations I have made with other 

 species this seems to be the normal number, though it seems 

 difiicult to understand how full growth can be attained without 

 more. The following table gives the dates of four individual 

 larvae : — 



Hatched. 1st Change. 2nd Change. Spun up. 



1. Aug. 14th Aug. 19th Aug. 23rd Sept. 3rd. 



2. Aug. 14th Aug. 19th Aug. 23rd Sept. 4th. 



3. Aug. 21st Aug. 27th Sept. 2nd Sept. 14tb. 



4. Aug. 21st Aug. 27th Sept. 2nd Sept. 16th. 



I have never yet discovered Chrysopa ova earlier than midsummer, 

 so I cannot say for certain whether the " lacewings " are double- 

 brooded or not. My impression, however, is that they are not. 

 I have kept imagines alive for a month in confinement, which 

 seems to prove that the imaginal existence is longer than has 

 been supposed, and few species emerge before the end of May or 

 beginning of June in any quantity, so that it seems improbable 

 that two broods can occur in the year. I can, however, only 

 speak with certainty with regard to those I have bred, and in no 

 case has the imago emerged until the following spring or summer. 

 Emergence is not complete on the insect escaping from the 

 cocoon, the imago being covered with a transparent pellicle, from 

 which it frees itself by slitting the thorax. In this stage (which 

 in a healthy example is very short) the wings are only 3 mm. in 

 length, the fore wing appearing slightly shorter than the hind 

 wing and resting above it. The eyes are of the same bright 

 green as in the perfect insect. The antennae are quite short, and 

 folded round the eyes like a ram's horn. They appear to lengthen 

 rapidly, and when fully extended are curled underneath the 

 body. The wings show their iridescence through the pellicle, 

 and the bright yellow line on the thorax is as distinct as in the 



