GERM OF EGGS, 39 



in their interior. There were some whose whole bo- 

 dy was so remarkably clear as to allow of" my very dis- 

 tinctly obsiM-viiifT tiu- rings. On tixuig attention more 

 closely upon the latter, 1 observed tiie egg open, and 

 the larva appear in its place. Having compared these 

 eggs w ith those just laid, I constantly Ibund the latter 

 ot" a milky whiteness, completely opaque, and smaller 

 by one-half, so that I had no reason to doubt of" the 

 eggs ot" ants receiving a very considerable increase in 

 size; that in elongating they become transparent, but 

 do not at this time disclose the tbrm of the grub, which 

 is always arched.'* 



The germ in the egg of the garden spider {Epeira 

 di(tdcma) is described by the accurate Ileroldt, as 

 appearing to the eye in form of a minute white point 

 immediately under the shell, and in the centre of the 

 circumterence. On examining this point more nar- 

 rowly, it is found to be of a lenticular shape, and 

 composed of iimumerable whitish granulations of a 

 globular form, diHL'ring only from the globules of the 

 yolk in being smaller and more opaque, as may be 

 seen by s(|ueezing out tlie contents of a s|)ider's egg 

 into a watch-glass. The most singular circumstance 

 observed by Ileroldt was, that in some species ot" spi- 

 ders an egg appeared to have a considerable number 

 dispersed upon ditierent points of the surface; but all 

 these ultimately united into a single germ.^ 



The eggs of the glow-worm [Lanipiiris noctihica), 

 as we ascertained from those deposited by one which 

 we found in IB'iO, .it Rudesheim, on the Rhine, are 

 golden yellow, somewhat resembling cherry-tree gum, 

 while the internal substance is similar in consistence 



* M. P. ITuber on Ants, p. fiS. 



i Heroldt, Exercit. de Cienerat. Aranearum in Ovo, and his 

 Unters. iiber die Bildung der Wizbellosen Tliierc in) Eie. 



