almost to a point at the narrow end. It is about '3 mm. in 

 length and about half of that in breadth (Fig. 5). Imme- 

 diately before extrusion, the contents lie a httle loose in 

 the shell. When laid, the egg, therefore, is able to adjust 

 itself to the surface of the seed so that it loses its 

 convexity on one side and becomes flat. With this flatten- 

 ing, the egg also becomes fuller. The egg comes out of the 

 body bathed in a gummy secretion which, besides fixing 

 firmly the flattened side of the egg to the seed, forms a broad 

 rim around the edge which further strengthens the attach- 

 ment. When the egg is first laid, it is clear and almost 

 transparent; but later on, the protoplasm becomes granular 

 and opaque except at the broad end which remains clear for 



Pio. 5. — Seed of Cajanus indicus showing eggs, disc cut by a iarva, and hole through 

 which a beetle emerged. To the left an egg is figured much enlarged 

 to show the rim aroimd. 



some time longer. In this latter region the black head of 

 the larva appears later. The larva takes from four to seven 

 days to hatch, the time varying with the season. When 

 hatched, it lies on its back and the brown mandibles are 

 seen at the most convex region, standing out conspicuously 

 against the shining black head. 



The larva is a thick-set grub about J mm. long (Fig. 6) . It 

 is pale and opaque and shows clearly thirteen divisions besides 

 the head. There are three pairs of legs which are all reduced 

 to conical stumps except the first pair which shows signs of 

 division and appears under the high power of a microscope 

 to be terminated by a number of very small spines. The 

 mouth parts are adapted for boring. The mandibles are 

 capacious and prominent with a very broad hinge above 

 and narrowing down to a point at the tip below. The labrum 

 is drawn out in the shape of a tongue and lies close above 

 the mandibles. The maxillae are reduced to bristly stumps 

 which are situated just behind the mandibles. The labium 

 is absent as is to be expected, for its presence would interfere 

 with the working back of the excavated powder or meal. 



b2* 



