Scdiicc (III Icr Xonciììhrc 191IÌ 



103 



ami crawl about on any objecl with considerable ease. 



NoNv conies the inij)or!ant ([iiestion: On whaldo the 

 larvae ("eed ? So l'ai-, 1 ha\c observed that dead and de- 

 caying \cgetable matter and perhaps living vegetable 

 matter in the fornì ol" algae, I'ornis their food ; I have not 

 yet seen lu'allhy rice plants which showed signs that 

 would lead one to susjx'ct the l'>phydra larvae had been 

 feeding on them. 



When full-grown the larxae attach themselves by 

 means of the posterior jiair of armed jiseudopodia to the 

 roots of Moating rice |)lanls. to the roots of rice plants 

 rooted in the soil, or to any suitable object lloaling on 

 Ihe surface or lying on the ground below water. 



^^'hen studying this insect it was suggested to me 

 by other observers that j)ossil)ly it might beat this point 

 that we should look for an explanation of the sup])()sed 

 injiiry to rice by the b^pliydia. ^^'as it possible that (lie 

 numerous ])upae on the roots of young plants made 

 them so biu)yant that lliey were dragged from Ihe soil and 

 raised to the surface wlieic the esca|)e of the Hies w hen 

 ready to emei'ge from Ihe pu|)ae would be facilitated? it 

 was thought at the time that pei'haps it was even essen- 

 tial foi- Ihe pupa to beat the suiface for the lly to emi'rge 

 in a perfect condilion. It was found, however, that the 

 Hies can emeige (piile suci'essfully below water, coming 

 to the suifact- in ;i bidible of air; once on Ihe surface tlu' 

 lly I'csls and allows its wings lo dexclop in the ordinary 

 way. W'helher or noi il is })ossil)le for young ric(^ with as 

 yet an insecure root hold of the soil to be dragged out 

 and lloaliMl to Ihe surface — much in the same manner 

 as a sunk ship is raised by Ihe employment of air-tight 

 caissons to "i\t' additional l)uo\ancv - remains to be 



