OKTIIOPTERA. BLATTIDiE. 421 



long, and about a line broad, and very convex, with about seven very 

 slight transverse impressions. The manner in which the eggs are 

 arranged by the female, the nature of the common envelope, the 

 cause of its being so long borne about by the parent, c*v:c., are points 

 worthy of investigation. It appears, also, that each female only 

 deposits one of these capsules, and that six months are requisite for 

 the attainment of the perfect state ; so that there can be but two 

 broods in a year ; nevertheless, in the B. orientalis, at least, there is 

 no fixed time for oviposition, as the insects may be found in all their 

 states in every part of the year. 



Of the growth of the young Blattse, and their gradual develope- 

 ment, a very interesting memoir has been published by M. Hummel 

 (^Qiielques Observations sur la Blatte Germanique, in his " Essais En- 

 tomologiques," No. 1. St. Petersburg, 1821). This species, figured 

 by Kirby and Spence, pi. 2. fig. 3., appears to be an introduced 

 insect, being confined to dwellings and warehouses, occurring also in 

 merchant vessels ; Stephens says it is found about and in London, 

 Portsmouth, and Plymouth, and that it is a presumed inhabitant of 

 the woods of India. Several specimens were, however, taken by 

 Mr. Gray of Dudley (to whom I am indebted for this species), in his 

 garden, at the foot of the Castle Hill. I have received it from Van 

 Dieraen's Land, and have captured it on board vessels arrived from 

 India. In Russia, where it is also found in houses in great numbers, 

 it is called the Prussian, being supposed to have been imported with 

 the Russian army on their return from Germany after the seven years' 

 war, not having been previously noticed. 



The capsule of this species is of an oblong form, subconvex, rounded 

 at the sides and ends, with transverse lateral impressions, three lines 

 long, and half that breydth. On introducing one of these capsules 

 into a glass, in which a female B. germinaca was contained, the insect 

 seized it with its fore legs, and made a longitudinal slit from end to 

 end*, by which means the enclosed larvae were set at liberty, making 

 their appearance attached together by membrane in pairs, as they 

 had been arranged within the capsule ; the female then assisted them 

 in detaching themselves. The number of larvae thus produced was 

 thirty-six : they were at first white and transparent, with only the eyes 



• M. Hummel supposes that this capsule had been "jcte a rinstaiit mOme 

 par quelque autre femelle ; " but this could hardly have been the case, because 

 the young were in a state ready to make their escape at the time. 



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