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part of the shell ; in the black beetle (blatta orientalis), which re- 
tained the larvee in egg boxes until the creatures were ready to 
emerge ; in the blow fly, in which the eggs were hatched within the 
body, and deposited as maggots ; and in the coceus, which converted 
her body into a shield for the protection of the eggs. 
Some creatures, by means of special apparatus, placed their 
eggs in the food of the larvz ; some, like the ichneumons, within 
the bodies of other creatures; and while some made no other 
provision than that of placing the eggs on suitable food, others 
constructed cells, suspended them in cocoons, covered them 
with varnish, rolled them in pellets, or glued them to the hair 
or feathers of animals. 
As objects for the microscope, apart from their physiological 
interest, they were among the most beautiful things in Nature, 
presenting an almost infinite diversity of form, colour, and 
markings. Perhaps no other class of objects from the animal 
kingdom afforded so great an absence of uniformity and so much 
beauty. 
Some of the most striking were the earth mite (Tetranychus 
lapideus), which laid a discoid egg on stones on our Dowas ; one 
of the blow-flies (Anthomyia pluvialis), which deposited winged, 
honey-combed eggs; and the lace-wing fly (Chrysopa perla), 
which attached elliptical eggs by long stalks to the leaves 
of plants infested by Aphides, on which the larve fed. 
That afternoon he had discovered that they also fed on the 
eggs of other creatures, a fact, as far as he was aware, not noticed 
or recorded. The eggs of the Puss Moth looked like minute 
oranges ; the cabbage butterfly laid a primrose coloured egg, 
somewhat resembling lobster traps ; the common blue butterflies’ 
eggs resembled exquisite ivory carvings ; but some of the most 
striking were foundamongthe bird parasites. Those ofthe Bohemian 
pheasant resembled some of the polycystina, those of the ground 
hornbill were so much like polyzoa that they might be mistaken 
for sea mats. The parasite of the Australian Mallee bird resembled 
the seed-vessel of the corn flower, while thet of the of Indian black- 
winged peacock was so much like a flower that a photograph or 
drawing of it might well be mistaken for an exquisite flower. 
Those from which the larves had escaped make very beautiful 
—_— == 
