1922] Smith: Hatching in Neuroptera 175 



for its entire length, cutting the chorion before it. The rent 

 was then torn at both ends, chiefly the upper, by the outward 

 pressure of the head of the embryo. The dorsum of the head is 

 pushed through the opening, perhaps aided some by blood 

 pressure, and as a consequence, the slit in the chorion tore 

 anteriorly to the micropyle. The abdomen was the pushing 

 agency. It moved upward by a series of contractions and 

 expansions, pushing the thorax before it. The mouthparts 

 and legs appeared to be held by the embryonic molt so 

 that they lagged behind in emergence. The chorion slipped 

 back over the eyes as the thorax was pushed up and the burster 

 with the molt remained at the lower part of the incision with 

 the cast skin. The embryonic molt was attached to the inside 

 of the chorion in the mid-ventral line just below the rent. 

 Sufficient strain was exerted on this molt by the emergence 

 of the embryo to cause it to tear over the thorax in the mid- 

 dorsal line. The upward pushing continued and the thorax 

 became arched over the egg. As the thorax and abdomen 

 appeared, the setae thus freed sprang into their normal position. 

 When the abdomen was well out of the egg, the larva began to 

 straighten up. This withdrew the mouthparts and the legs 

 from the molt. They were drawn out slowly and finally the 

 claws were freed after some difficulty. 



As soon as the mouthparts and legs were freed, the larva 

 raised itself erect and even bent backwards. By these move- 

 ments it separated the appendages from each other, for they 

 appeared to adhere slightly. During this performance and 

 until the chitin was hard, the larva supported itself wholly 

 by the end of the abdomen. Finally, after some ten minutes, 

 the larva brought itself forward and rested on its legs. It 

 then rested for a few minutes longer, after which it sought 

 the stalk of the egg by which it descended to the substratum. 



Later observations show that it is not always the upper 

 lobe which first pierces the chorion. Sometimes it appears 

 that the whole burster is slowly pushed through the chorion 

 at about the- same time. Larvae rest for a varying length 

 of time on the egg shell. Generally is it about fifteen or 

 twenty minutes, but this period may be much prolonged. 

 One often sees a batch of eggs with a larva resting on each. 

 The empty shells are pure white, and all have a prominent 



