﻿PROCEEDINGS 
  OF 
  THE 
  FOURTH 
  ENTOMOLOGICAL 
  MEETING 
  295 
  

  

  In 
  nature 
  CelypJius 
  obtectus 
  appears 
  to 
  have 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  varieties 
  

   displaying 
  various 
  shades 
  of 
  colour 
  between 
  yellow 
  and 
  blue, 
  the 
  

   scutellum 
  also 
  showing 
  varying 
  grades 
  of 
  smoothness, 
  some 
  having 
  

   a 
  distinctly 
  rough 
  surface. 
  Yellow 
  or 
  the 
  intermediate 
  ones 
  have 
  hardly 
  

   been 
  found 
  possessing 
  a 
  smooth 
  scutellum, 
  but 
  in 
  the 
  Blue 
  ones 
  both 
  

   smooth 
  and 
  rough 
  surfaces 
  are 
  seen. 
  So 
  far 
  as 
  has 
  been 
  studied, 
  in 
  

   captivity 
  the 
  Yellow 
  kind 
  has 
  never 
  been 
  obtained 
  from 
  eggs 
  laid 
  by 
  

   the 
  Blue 
  variety 
  nor 
  the 
  Blue 
  from 
  the 
  Yellow.* 
  

  

  (2) 
  CelypTius 
  scutatus, 
  Wd. 
  (Plate 
  LI). 
  

  

  This 
  does 
  not 
  appear 
  to 
  be 
  an 
  abundant 
  species 
  in 
  nature. 
  They 
  

   can 
  be 
  captured 
  in 
  small 
  numbers 
  by 
  sweeping 
  grass 
  in 
  moist 
  situations. 
  

  

  Considerable 
  difficulty 
  was 
  experienced 
  in 
  rearing 
  out 
  this 
  species. 
  

   Of 
  the 
  several 
  lots 
  experimented 
  with, 
  only 
  two 
  could 
  be 
  made 
  to 
  lay 
  

   eggs 
  which 
  were 
  deposited 
  along 
  the 
  margins 
  of 
  grass 
  blades, 
  and 
  on 
  

   one 
  occasion 
  on 
  rotten 
  Duranta 
  leaves. 
  

  

  The 
  egg, 
  which 
  is 
  less 
  than 
  1 
  mm. 
  in 
  length, 
  is 
  elhpsoidal 
  tapering 
  

   at 
  both 
  ends, 
  slightly 
  depressed 
  laterally, 
  white, 
  with 
  four 
  longitudinal 
  

   ridges, 
  the 
  spaces 
  between 
  the 
  ridges 
  being 
  transversely 
  and 
  finely 
  

   striated, 
  the 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  egg 
  being 
  distinctly, 
  and 
  the 
  ridges 
  indistinctly 
  

   spotted, 
  the 
  latter 
  converging 
  at 
  the 
  extremities 
  which 
  are 
  rather 
  abrupt- 
  

   ly 
  pointed. 
  The 
  incubation 
  period 
  is 
  from 
  four 
  days 
  to 
  one 
  week. 
  Very 
  

   few 
  larvae 
  were 
  discovered 
  in 
  their 
  usual 
  habitat. 
  They 
  were 
  found 
  

   lying 
  inside 
  the 
  folds 
  of 
  moist, 
  slightly 
  rotten, 
  yellowish-green 
  grass- 
  

   blades, 
  g 
  

  

  The 
  larva 
  is 
  white, 
  transparent, 
  very 
  bluntly 
  tapering 
  at 
  both 
  ends 
  

   and 
  with 
  thirteen 
  segments. 
  The 
  third, 
  fourth, 
  fifth 
  and 
  the 
  sixth 
  

   abdominal 
  segments 
  are 
  subequal, 
  the 
  larva 
  having 
  the 
  greatest 
  breadth 
  

   at 
  this 
  region. 
  The 
  apical 
  portion 
  has 
  fine 
  projections 
  which, 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  

   previously 
  described 
  fly, 
  probably 
  assist 
  the 
  larva 
  in 
  locomotion. 
  The 
  

   tracheae 
  follow 
  a 
  rather 
  irregular 
  course 
  along 
  almost 
  the 
  entire 
  length 
  

   of 
  the 
  larva 
  and 
  terminate 
  at 
  both 
  ends 
  in 
  two 
  pairs 
  of 
  spiracles. 
  The 
  

   anal 
  segment 
  is 
  indented 
  in 
  two 
  (apparently 
  four) 
  distinct 
  depressions. 
  

   The 
  anterior 
  pair 
  of 
  spiracles 
  occupies 
  the 
  pre-apical 
  portions, 
  both 
  

   pairs 
  of 
  spiracles 
  opening 
  dorsally. 
  The 
  white 
  bodies, 
  shaped 
  posteriorly 
  

   into 
  two 
  bulb-like 
  structures, 
  extend 
  from 
  the 
  posterior 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  

   tenth 
  segment 
  to 
  three-fourths 
  the 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  fifth, 
  the 
  bulb-like 
  

  

  * 
  Note. 
  — 
  Eggs 
  of 
  these 
  insects 
  apparently 
  derive 
  yellow 
  colour 
  merely 
  by 
  capillary 
  

   attraction 
  of 
  water 
  containing 
  colouring 
  matter 
  from 
  rotting 
  leaf. 
  When 
  placed 
  in 
  

   water 
  or 
  alcohol 
  all 
  become 
  white. 
  The 
  Bine 
  variety 
  has 
  been 
  seen 
  to 
  lay 
  white 
  eggs 
  

   as 
  well 
  as 
  " 
  yellow 
  " 
  ones. 
  The 
  yellow 
  variety 
  lias 
  been 
  seen 
  to 
  lay 
  " 
  yello-w 
  " 
  eggs 
  

   as 
  well 
  aa 
  white 
  onest 
  Apart 
  from 
  the 
  colour, 
  there 
  seems 
  no 
  difference 
  in 
  the 
  two. 
  

  

  u2 
  

  

  