the Biology of some British Neuroptem. 503 



its anterior portion reaches as far as the clypeus. Since 

 the embryo rests with head and abdomen bent ventrally, 

 the anterior extremity of the egg-breaker will be situated 

 a little posteriorly to the micropyle. 



The hatching of Nothochnjsa capitata is quite typical 

 and as follows. When hatching is due, blood is forced to 

 the labrum-clypeus, which swells under the pressure and so 

 presses against the anterior portion of the egg-breaker, 

 in all Chrysopids this bears a projecting tooth, which 

 quickly penetrates the chorion. Now the entire fore part 

 of the body presses outwards and the saw slits the egg still 

 further down. The head gradually protrudes and then the 

 prothorax. Now it may be seen that the labrum-clypeus 

 is considerably ballooned out and pulsates at ninety or one 

 hundred to the minute. It projects in a semicircle from a 

 line drawn between the mandible bases. Behind this, an 

 almost transverse segment includes the bases of theantennae. 

 Later, these transverse divisions become drawn backwards 

 in the middle, as will be seen. 



Five minutes after hatching commenced, the amnion 

 skin splits at the back of the head. Now the escape of the 

 larva is rapid. Antennae and jaws are drawn out of their 

 sheathes and the egg-breaker is left behind. Finally the 

 young larva frees itself entirely and stands out from the 

 eggshell, supported only by the tip of the abdomen, which is 

 still within. It is now only ten minutes since hatching 

 commenced. 



Examining the larva at this stage, the head is wholly 

 soft, enclosed in a thin skin which will shortly Iiarden. The 

 soft integument of the head is now seen to be continuous, 

 from the dorsal to the ventral surface anteriorly between 

 the jaws. Thus the position which should reveal a mouth 

 opening is covered by membrane. This is important, as it 

 shows how the mouth is at first closed. Now a process of 

 retraction of the central part of the head is going on. 

 Gradually the labrum-clypeus, once swollen with blood, 

 shrinks and is drawn back until it no longer projects, but 

 forms a triangular piece with a slightly curved anterior 

 margin between the jav/s (Plate XXXIX, fig. 1). A groove 

 now marks the division between labrum and clypeus. The 

 labrum is the anterior margin of the clypeus. The antenna 

 bases now lie at the extremities of another V-shaped groove, 

 (frontal suture) ahnost parallel to the clypeus boundary, and 

 once nearly transverse as previously noted. The membrane 



