LIFE-HISTORY OF THE BODY-LOUSE 31 



carried by the wind. On the garments of a 

 lousy person the excreta may be seen stuck on to 

 fibres of the cloth, especially about the patches 

 of eggs, than which they are more conspicuous 

 and which they may sometimes serve to indicate. 

 Fig. 9 is a drawing of a fragment of sewing-cotton 

 which was removed from one of the experimental 

 boxes of lice. The masses and fragments of 

 excreta may be seen on it. The larger masses 

 all ultimately break up into fine granules. In 

 the armpits of infested men dirty brown patches 



FIG. 9. FRAGMENT OF SEWING-COTTON FOULED BY LOUSE 

 EXCRETA, (x 30.) 



are often seen where these louse faeces have dis- 

 solved in the sweat. 



Breeding. The female louse commences to lay 

 eggs on the second day after the last moult. She 

 does this whether she has been fertilised by the 

 male or not, but only if she has been fertilised 

 will the eggs hatch. Copulation takes place fre- 

 quently, and in the operation the male creeps 

 underneath the female and the genital openings 

 are placed in apposition. Nuttall (2) has recently 

 described the process in detail. The female 

 pouch is held open by means of the pointed 

 chitinous organ of the male which is known as 

 the dilator and which can be seen through the 



