The Biology of Maine Species of Altica. 165 



and had deposited a few eggs. Eggs were to be found commonly 

 a few days later. The first larvae were found on May 21, which 

 must have come from eggs deposited at least as early as May 

 13. The Connecticut material exactly corresponds with the 

 Maine material in every way. 



The Egg. 



Coloration. When deposited the eggs are orange, but by 

 24 hours they have become the pale buff characteristic of the 

 species. They do not turn gray before hatching. Each egg is 

 streaked with excrement which lies on it like a black bar. The 

 lateral tubercles of the mesothorax and metathorax show 

 through the egg shell as 4 black spots about 24 hours before the 

 larvae are ready to emerge. 



Where deposited. The eggs are always deposited in clus- 

 ters on the underside of the leaf of the food plant, on any part^ 

 of the surface, but always so that the cluster lies against a vein. 

 If there is more than one row of eggs, the eggs in the outer 

 rows successively overlap those in the row next inner. 



How many deposited. The eggs are deposited in clusters 

 of from 2 to 41, though there are rarely more than 20 in a 

 cluster. A count of 321 egg clusters may be summarized as 

 follows : 



Seven clusters were composed of 2 eggs each, 14 of 3, 19 

 of 4, 18 of 5. 23 of 6, 26 of 7, 25 of 8, 23 of 9, 30 of 10, 22 

 of 11, 31 of 12, 17 of 13, 20 of 14, 13 of 15, 9 of 16, 4 of 

 17, 8 of 18, 7 of 19, 1 of 20, 1 of 23, 1 of 29, 1 of 30, 1 of 41 ; 

 mean of species 12; true average 9.9. 



The Larva. 



Color changes of the larva during growth. The body wall 

 of the larva is covered with minute cuticular nodules, which, 

 together with the tubercles, are the pigmented portions of the 

 body. Just after hatching or immediately after a molt, the in- 

 tegument is translucent, and the larva appears entirely white, 

 as no pigment has yet been formed, and the white fat-body shows 

 through. In a few hours, pigment is formed in the tubercles 

 and in the nodules. As the body wall is not stretched, the tuber- 



