58 EELWORMS. 



course of things, attached where she barst through the root. The 

 entire development from egg to sexual maturity is stated to take four 

 or five weeks, and there may be six or seven successive generations. 



The above abstract is mainly taken from the account by Dr. 

 Kitzema Bos referred to below." 



Coiitinuiiu/ now from such few observations as I was myself able to 

 viakc. The specimens which Prof. Percival was good enough to 

 forward enabled me to have a good view of the females of H. schachtii 

 in situ on the Hop-rootlets, as well as of the young larvfe and eggs in 

 different stages of development. 



On September 13th, he favoured me with specimens of fibrous 

 Hop-roots with 'smaller and finer side-rootlets, together with the 

 eartli in which the roots were growing. Amongst these I found the 

 citron-shaped female adhering. With a two-inch focus magnifier, the 

 Nematode was distinguishable as a minute globular body, much the 

 same colour as the Hop-roots. With a higher (an inch) power, the 

 characteristic shape of the fully-developed female was observable, that 

 is, the somewhat spherical or globular shape prolonged at each end, 

 and on pressing this, it cracked, and great numbers of eggs burst out ; 

 about a hundred could be counted with a quarter-inch glass, and 

 probably there were many more. Other females of various size 

 besides the fully-developed chestnut-coloured specimens were present, 

 some of them still young and white and smaller, and in one instance, 

 where the creature was still flask- shaped, the contents were only 

 partially advanced to egg-form. 



In the case of one specimen, for which I secured a very good light, 

 the bright chestnut surface appeared to be pitted with very minute 

 punctures, and in this instance I had the opportunity of watching the 

 exit or expulsion of the young wormlets, with some eggs accompanying, 

 almost in the natural manner from the reproductive opening of what 

 had been the female, but now little more than the protecting husk. 

 This was a somewhat circular orifice, situated on one side of the 



* Those who desire to go into the life-history of this Eelworm practically con- 

 sidered for agricultural purposes, as well as for technical scientific study, will find 

 it very serviceably given, with quotations and references to the works of Strubell, 

 Ivuhn, and other special observers, in the ' Tierische Schiidlinge und Niitzlinge ' of 

 Dr. J. Eitzema Bos, pp. 765 — 777, Berlin, 1891. For popular English use, a short 

 abstract of the above will be found in ' Agricultural Zoology,' an abridged form of 

 the above work translated by J. K. Ainsworth Davis, Prof, of Biolojy, &c., in the 

 University College of Wales, pp. 226 — 230 : Chapman & Hall, London, 1894. I 

 have not given a list in full of the many and valuable publications on this subject, 

 or bearing on this subject, by such distinguished writers as Drs. Kuhn, Strubell, 

 Voigt, &c., as these publications would not be very serviceable for the practical 

 home agricultural w ork for which these Eeports are chiefly intended ; but to those 

 who wish it, I believe I may say I could give the requisite titles. 



