138 
PSYCHE 
[December 
1. General manner of otnposifion. This has been aptly described by Lintner 
(1883); details are here added. 
Females taken from jars in which confined, several hours after emergence, were 
transferred by means of a camel’s hair brush to a portion of a blade of corn upon 
which had been deposited, thickly, eggs of Ileliothis, by moths also in confinement. 
The blade of corn was then placed on the stage of the microscope, and the insects 
watched, while they deposited egg after egg. These observations were repeated from 
time to time, with and without the aid of the microscope. The latter, however, was 
necessary, on account of the microscopic size of the insect. 
IMien placed on the leaf of corn, the insects immediately began to crawl rapidly 
about, showing no indications that they were aware of the presence of suitable hosts, 
until they chanced upon one. At this, the female stopped and sensed the egg with 
its antennae, recognizing it. Searching is evidently the only way in which the insect 
finds its hosts, and in nature they doubtless travel many hours, at times, before find- 
ing a suitable place in which to deposit their eggs. After stopping and recognizing 
the host, and satisfying itself of its suitability, the female crawls upon it, and begins 
a minute, though rapid, examination of its surface with the brush-like clubs of the 
antennae, travelling generally, when doing this, transversely around the egg in a direc- 
tion perpendicular to the polar ridges, and taking a variable, though short, period 
of time. 
Becoming suddenly satisfied, she stops short, advances the length of her body, 
and raising the latter, applies the point of the ovipositor to the spot last sensed by the 
antennae. The tip of the abdomen now forms a caudal support, and the legs are 
well out and propped. Thus gripping the host egg, pressure is brought to bear on 
the ovipositor, which being resisted by the tough chorion, now bends and twists like 
a good rapier, which it much resembles in miniature. The parasite is now trying to 
force the ovipositor into the egg. In this it often fails (cf. 6), though generally suc- 
cessful. After its point has pierced the chorion, the ovipositor is slowly and firmly 
pushed in to its entire length, which is about half of the greatest diameter of the host 
egg, about 0.24 mm., or until the ventum of the female is in contact with the sur- 
face of the host. 
Slight spasmodic contractions of the abdomen then ensue, doubtless sending the 
egg through the oviduct and ovipositor into the host, where it is deposited centrally. 
The ovipositor is then as slowly withdrawn, the female arching its abdomen very 
high, almost straining, until it is entirely out, xvhen she regains her feet, and darts 
off in search of another egg, or simply changes position on the same egg, and 
repeats the operation; or else rests, according to circumstances. After beginning 
