OVIPOSITION AND THE EGG OF LYCTUS BEUJfNEUS. 221 
Oviposition also takes place — in the case of previously infested wood^in 
those vessels which have been bitten across in the pupal chamber and its 
extension to the exit-hole. 
It was observed that, when the beetles are feeding on the surface of the 
wood, they always bite the tissues transversely; this habit — if the wood is 
longitudinally split — not infrequently cuts open a vessel and creates a point 
of access to it. In several instances, examination has shown that this opening 
in the vessel has been used for the deposition of eggs. 
The eggs are deposited in the vessels at varying distances from the point 
of access of the ovipositor, but the anterior pole of the last egg laid is seldom 
less than 1 mm. from it. In one specific instance in which three eggs were 
found, the distance from the point of access to the posterior pole of the first 
egg deposited was 3*75 mm. ; on two occasions five eggs in juxtaposition were 
found, in these cases the ovipositor had been inserted more than 5 mm. 
The eggs were diiBcult to find and very easily broken when shaving off the 
wood-tissues in search of them, and when exposed, the task of removing them 
or " digging " them out is an exceedingly difficalt one. The writer estiuaates 
that on an average 75 per cent, of the eggs were lost in trying to locate them, 
and probably 60 per cent, of the located eggs were damaged or destroyed in 
endeavouring to extract them from the vessels. 
From the examination of several ovaries, it was found that in the case 
of fertilized females, only a small number of eggs mature at a time, 
eight to twelve being the usual number found collected in the calices. 
In the case of unfertilized females, the ripe eggs continue to pass into the 
calices until the latter become swollen and the death of the female ensues. 
The Egg. 
PI. 12. tig. 2 is a photograph of deposited eggs in situ ■ part of the vessel 
and surrounding tissues have been removed. 
The egg is translucent white and cylindrical ; tapering towards and 
rounded at the posterior pole. The anterior pole is rounded, but continuing 
from it, as if broadly attached to it, is a long, slender tube-like process 
which terminates in a round protuberance. 
This process varies considerably in length even in those eggs laid by one 
female. The process was never observed to be attached to the walls of the 
vessel, but when two or more eggs had been deposited in the same vessel it 
was usually found adhering to the egg next to it. 
The chorion is creased longitudinally, giving the egg the appearance of 
being marked with longitudinal strise, which concentrating at the anterior 
pole are more pronounced in this area. These striations and the process or 
strand ware found to owe their origin to the action of chitinised setse lining 
a pair of valves situated at the junction of the oviducts, and are the result 
of the pressure exerted by the valve upon the egg as it is forced through on 
its passage. 
