22 Records of the Indian Museum. [Voi.. XVI, 



a sort of brush when extended ; this was pressed closely first 

 against each ventral segment, being drawn in its expanded 

 state across the segment. After each segment had been cleaned 

 this organ was retracted only to be placed on the next and 

 succeeding segments, until all, but the one bearing the organ, were 

 cleaned. This process of cleaning was applied to every part of the 

 body in turn, always beginnmg from the anterior part First the 

 centre of the ventral segments was cleaned , then the right and left 

 lateral areas. Having cleaned the underside it moved off to 

 another spot where it remained in a standing position and cleaned 

 the dorsal segments. The only segment it could not clean was the 

 apical one of the abdomen as it could not be reached. After hav- 

 ing finished cleaning its body thoroughly it went back to the water 

 and appeared to drink, as its jaws and palps were almost station- 

 ary. I left the cage in perfect darkness for a quarter of an 

 hour. When I returned I found the larva perched on top of 

 a small stone, which was lying at the bottom of the cage, 

 apparently asleep. I left it thus for the rest of the night. By the 

 morning of the 21st the larva had dug a round hole about an inch 

 and a half in diameter in the soft earth at the bottom of the cage, 

 adjoining a small stone on which I had seen it perched the night 

 before. In this hole it coiled itself up and remained so for the rest 

 of the day. During the night of the 21st it began to enlarge this 

 hole and b}^ the morning of the 22nd it had gone well under the 

 earth. Through a small hole the larva could be seen. It was still 

 in its larval state. All the snails in the cage were thrown away. 

 At 7.15 P.M. the same day the larva commenced to close up the 

 opening through which it could be seen and which had been used 

 for the purpose of throwing out mud excavated from the interior 

 of the hole. Small quantities of earth were held between the man- 

 dibles and carried towards the opening. The earth was gently 

 stuck into the side at the bottom of the hole ; gradually it was 

 carried to the top of the h6le ; on reaching the opening it was 

 thrust with some force against the side, which caused the earth 

 at the top to fall inwards, but just sufficiently to diminish the size 

 of the opening. Continuing in this manner the larva succeeded in 

 closing the opening entirely. It was now completely enclosed in its 

 " dug-out." By the morning of the 23rd it had gone further 

 under the earth and could be seen asleep through a large opening a 

 little distance away from the one which it had closed up the 

 night before. Apparently it had spent the night either in in- 

 creasing the size of its " dug-out " or in going further underground, 

 the large opening having been made for the purpose of placing 

 the excavated earth outside. At 7 p.m. on the 23rd it was still 

 asleep. The light of a candle made it glow faintly, but it did not 

 move. On the morning of the 24th it was in the same position 

 as on the night before. At about 4 p.m. on the 24th it glowed 

 for a short time. On the windows being opened it ceased to 

 glow. B}^ dusk it commenced to close up the opening, which 

 was accomplished in the same manner as explained before. On 



