COTTON 403 



The long ribs project at the top and curve away from 

 the surface, and thus form the points of the large crown 

 which surmounts the upper portion of the egg. The 

 second series or shorter longitudinal ridges, which alter- 

 nate with the long ones, stop at the base of the crown, 

 and do not project outwards so as to form points. 



Within the large crown, and at a very slightly higher 

 elevation, there is a much smaller one which surrounds 

 the micropyle. 



The points of the latter are slender, upright, and 

 generally bifid at the apex; they appear to be formed by 

 ribs, which proceed in a slight upward curve from the 

 points of the large crown; the single ridges, which spring 

 from two of the outer teeth, converge and form a point 

 in the micropylar crown. However, the points com- 

 prising the latter are not half the number which form the 

 primary crown, because some of the ribs which spring 

 from the teeth of the larger crown run in between those 

 which make up the micropylar crown. 



The secondary crown surrounds a small area, more or 

 less flat, in the centre of which is the micropyle. This 

 space is sculptured with several delicate converging 

 ridges, which form a somewhat rosette-shaped pattern. 



The vertical ribs are joined by a series of small concave 

 transverse striae, which are alternately opposite each 

 other, the enclosed areas being markedly concave. The 

 sculpturing becomes obsolete at the base. The whole 

 shell reflects light very strongly, which gives the egg the 

 appearance of being made of blown glass. 



Opposition on Cotton. The eggs are laid on various 

 parts of the cotton plant, but, as far as Mr. Willcocks's 

 observations go at present, the bolls, terminal buds, and 

 perhaps also the squares, appear to be the favourite 

 positions for oviposition. They may also be found on the 

 large flower buds, and occasionally on the petioles and in 

 the axils of the leaves, or on the leaves themselves. 



As a rule each female lays a single egg on a boll, but 

 sometimes she lays two, or possibly more. However, as 

 several females oviposit on the same capsule, it is by no 

 means unusual to find quite a number of hatched and 

 unhatched eggs in different stages; this is more common 



