112 OBSERVATIONS ON THE LIFE HISTORY, ETC. 



When the female is about to increase her family she goes 

 about the business in a very methodical way, displaying skill 

 and forethought that wjuld do no discrelit to any Australian 

 couples about to marry. It is essential that she should have 

 water whereon to lay her eggs. Running water is avoided ; it 

 would carry her eggs she does not know where. So she searches 

 out for a still and quiet pool, as dark and as much hidden from 

 observation as possible. If dirty and filled with rotten leaves 

 and branches, so much the better. The youngsters will then 

 have cover from their enemies, and find food for nourishment. 

 Having satisfied herself as to the bsst place, she alights on the 

 water, the dirty scum or air film adhering to the water surface 

 being quite sufficient to support her slender form. Resting on 

 the front and middle pair of legs, the binder pair (which are often 

 seen projecting upwards into the air) are then crossed in the 

 shape of the letter X, and in the angle thus formed she places 

 an egg, holding it upright with the capped end down ; another 

 is then glued to it by some cement, of which she is the original 

 manufacturer, and so she goes on laying one row of eggs against 

 another. She still keeps the mass between her hind legs, 

 pushing it further out as it grows bigger to make room for 

 another row of eggs, and so she industriously pursues the work 

 until it is finished. Occasionally she is disturbed, and I have 

 seen many of these little rafts half completed. This work 

 occupies a considerable time. Recently I had one in captivity, 

 and as I went to bed at 10 o'clock I noticed her standing on the 

 water ; so suspecting that she was growing broody, I carefully 

 examined the place ; she, not liking my appearance at such a 

 time, flew away, and there was certainly no trace of eggs then. 

 About 12 I awoke, and, lightmg my lamp, I examined the place 

 and there, in exactly the spot from which I had disturbed her, 

 lay the egg-raft complete. So that the work was done in less 

 than two hours ; and it is always done during the night. When 

 complete, the raft is exactly the shape of a boat, three or four 

 times as long as it is broad. At the bottom of fig. 1 you have a side 

 view just as it appears when floating on the water. It forms a 

 complete segment of a circle, and might have been plotted out 

 by a Govermnent surveyor with a pair of compasses. Looking 

 closely at the upper edge, you see it has a saw-like aspect. 

 What looks like the teeth of a saw^ is really the small ends of the 

 eggs set together in regular rows, all pointing upward. A 



