THE ENTOMOLOGIST 



Vol. XXXIX.] APRIL, 1906. [No. 515. 



THE EGGS OF NABIS {LATIVENTEIS?). 



By T. A. Chapman, M.D., F.E.S. &c. 



(Plate III.) 



At the beginning of last July I found on our downs here, 

 stems of Chlora j>erfoUata with certain circular marks. These 

 were about 0*21 to 0'24 mm. in diameter, were slightly raised — 

 i. e. the surface round them sloped triflingly up to their margins. 

 Their position was very regular and orderly, generally on the 

 second or third internode above the ground, though occasion- 

 ally higher ; they were placed in a regular line down one side of 

 the stem in numbers varying, but generally from about four to 

 eight, rarely only one or two ; they were almost always at exactly 

 equal distances from each other — viz. about 2*0 mm. These 

 proved to be the eggs of a species of Nabis, Dr. Sharp believes 

 lativentris ; the only ground for supposing it to be some other 

 species being that that species is more widely distributed than 

 Chlora perfoliata, and therefore if it be lativentris, it must be in 

 the habit of ovipositing in various other stems — a highly probable 

 circumstance, since Nabis, not being a vegetable feeder, merely 

 the mechanical qualities of the stem can be of any importance. 

 At any rate, the young bugs that hatched from these eggs are 

 certainly some species of Nabis. By the time some of these had 

 hatched, and I had learned what the little circles were, I found 

 that (about July 10th) the further eggs discoverable in the field 

 were also hatched, and so my notes on them are founded chiefly 

 on the empty shells, though I had previously determined by 

 section that they were eggs containing developing embryos. 



The stem of the Chlora consists of a delicate bark, then a 

 dense woody layer about 0*2 mm. thick, and a centre, hollow or 

 with a delicate pith. The eggs occupy a hole directly pene- 

 trating the woody layer, and then bend down in the central pith 

 for about 1"2 mm., swelling out a little in it. How they are 

 placed here I do not know, but no doubt when the oviposition 



ENTOM. — APRIL, 1906. H 



