2 



Though, Uke many of the ova of the Microlepidoptera, their shape 

 is much modified by their surroundings, they may be described as 

 ovoid. The micropylar end is somewhat truncated and usually 

 rather less in diameter than the nadir, which is normally evenly 

 rounded, though it readily takes the shape of any surface against 

 which it may have been pressed by the moth's ovipositor. 



The long axis measures o"4 mm., and the shorter ones o"25 mm. 



The micropylar area may be described as a shallow basin. In the 

 centre lies the micropyle. This consists of a minute but deep pit 

 with seven grooves running down it. Under a low power it appears 

 merely as a rosette composed of seven elongated cells. The micro- 

 pyle is surrounded by an irregular collar or raised flange. Beyond 

 this is a second, larger ring of raised points connected with the inner 

 collar by about nine cross-ribs. These ribs are continued over the 

 edge of the micropylar area, where they are raised so high at tl.e 

 border that they have the appearance of papillae. These nine ribs, 

 with others, perhaps less prominent, between them, run down the 

 egg-shell to the nadir, where they become less distinct. They are 

 all crossed at irregular intervals by lesser raised lines running round 

 the egg at right angles to the ribs, the interspaces forming quad- 

 rangular cells. In other words, the sculpture on the walls of the 

 ovum might be described as consisting of a series of shallow pits 

 arranged in irregular longitudinal rows. 



When first laid the colour of the ovum is pale yellow, but in nine 

 or ten days the colour becomes rather deeper in tint. A minute red 

 dot is also usually visible. About the fourteenth day the ovum 

 shows a large dark fuscous spot at the micropylar end. This is 

 caused by the dark head of the young larva showing through the 

 egg-shell. 



On the seventeenth day the first batch of eggs hatched. I should 

 say that about seventeen days would be the average length of time 

 that C. fuscedinella passes in the egg stage. Of course the length of 

 this stage depends very greatly on the type of weather prevalent 

 during the period. Two batches which I had during this cold 

 suauner took twenty-one days to hatch. The greater bulk of the 

 eggs will hatch out on the same day. AVhen about to leave the egg 

 the young larva gnaws a hole at the micropylar end, through which 

 it finally escapes. It does not eat the egg-shell. The empty shell 

 does not collapse, but remains stiff. It is almost colourless, the 

 yellow tint of the ovum before hatching being due to the yellow 

 body of the larva showing through the shell. 



Many authors state that the Coleophorids begin life as leaf-miners, 

 and so they do, but as Coleophorid leaf-miners, not as true leaf- 

 miners. The true leaf-miner eats its way out through the base of 

 the egg into the leaf without ever coming in contact with the atmo- 

 sphere. The genus Nepticula and also that of Phyllocnistis furnish 

 good examples of true leaf-miners. 



But the Coleophorids, at least C. fuscedinella, comes out of the 



