BY W. R. COLLEDGE. 125 



distance. If not quite near enough, then there was no 

 muscular motion of the front part of the body, but the 

 three last segments of the abdomen were quietly telescoped 

 into each other, then outhrust, thus bringing him a little 

 nearer. This generally took some time. And as ordinary 

 larva are of an active nature they frequently moved to 

 another place. But, with indomitable patience, the same 

 process was repeated, again and again. Until at last the 

 chance came, there was a flash from the seemingly inanimate 

 body, and the larva struggled in his grip. Seized some- 

 times by the middle, occasionally by one of the palps on 

 the head, there was no escape from those relentless jaws. 

 Gradually it was drawn in, chewed bit by bit, until all the 

 juices were extracted. Skin and crushed organs were then 

 thrown aside, and in an hour or two the same process was 

 repeated, and so several larva were disposed of every day. 

 It did not entirely confine itself to mosquito larva, for 

 a moth accidentally singing its wings at the lamp fell on 

 the water of its preserve. Like a trout at a fly it rose, seized 

 and dragged it down. I regularly fed it with mosquito 

 larva obtained from various sources for the succeeding 

 months, but the cooler weather retarded its development, 

 and it w^as not until the 27th of August that it threw off 

 its larval skin and entered into the pupa stage. Then it 

 was 24 weeks old. 



The pupa, or next stage of the insect, is distinguished 

 from others of the family by its comparative size. They 

 are veritable giants. Mr. D. O'Connor showed me one 

 which had been sent to him as a curiosity some months 

 ago. They are heavily built, chocolate brown in colour, 

 and chiefly spend their time lying on the surface of the water. 

 The cephalothorax is at first triangular in side view, but 

 as the insect develops within, the lower portion grows as 

 far as the third segment of the abdomen. 



On the nape is a large tuft of palmate hairs, Avhicli, 

 by laying hold of the surface film, helps to steady its body 

 on the surface of the water. 



It now breathes from the head, instead of the tail, 

 as in the larval state, and the two spiracles or breathing 

 organs are placed one on each side of the head. They 

 are of the same dark chocolate colour as the body, but the 

 internal surface is golden, contrasting beautifully with 

 the darker background. 



