4(58 F0KTY-EIQH7H EEPOLT ON THE STATE MUSErM 



consist of about twenty-five tubes, in each of which there were seven 

 to eight ova. In the enlarged end of each tube there was a well-devel- 

 oped ovum; the next was smaller and less developed; the size and 

 degree of development of the ova decreased toward the small end of 

 the tube (PI. iv, fig. 11). Observation t-howed that from twenty-five 

 to thirty eggs are laid at one time — presumably one from each tube; 

 dissection would indicate that more than one lot of eggs are deposited, 

 and this is supported by the extended imago existence, which lasts sev- 

 eral weeks. If the teven or eight ova of each tube mature during this 

 time, a single female is capable of depositing between one hundred and 

 fifty and two hundred eggs. Examination of two other females resulted 

 in the finding of twenty-three well formed eggs in one and twenty six 

 in the other. In these notes no allowance was made for those destroyed 

 before they could be counted, of which there were several in each 

 instance. They adhere together slightly on account of the small 

 amount of a viscid fluid covering them. There was nothing to show 

 that the female excavates a nidus; she appears to depend upon finding 

 a suitable hiding place. The appendages of her abdomen are so slender 

 that they could hardly be used for excavation. In at least two cases 

 the eggs were laid in irregular, diffuse masses on the surface of the 

 sand, there being no crevice. One lot was deposited partly under a 

 piece of meat, but in most no attention appeared to be paid to the 

 future wants of the larva?. 



Eggs and Young Larva. 

 If the egg,s were allowed to lie upon a dry surface they quickly dried 

 and shriveled up. Two from a lot which subsequently hatched were 

 placed upon a glaps slip. Within thirty minutes they had shrunken to 

 a noticeable extent, and within three hours they had shriveled up com- 

 pletely. The shell is thin and must be quite porous. 



Tlie Egg. — (PI. iv, fig. 10.) Elliptical oval; long diameter .625 mm.; 

 short diameter .6 mm. The egg is pale yellow when first laid, turning 

 in a day or two to sooty-yellow. The shell if finely marked with sub- 

 hexagonal depressions; in the center of each depression there is a circu- 

 lar elevation. 



Several clusters were dug up immediately after being laid, placed in 

 vials and covered with about half an inch of moist sand. Most of the 

 time the vials were kept tightly corked. If moisture gathered abund- 

 antly on the sides of the vial the cork was removed and some of the 

 moisture allowed to evaporate. The eggs hatched in from six to seven 

 days — they were laid in the afternoon and the larva? were found on 

 the morning of the sixth or seventh day. 



