AQUATIC INSECTS IN NEW YORK STATH 297 
that these delicate larvae are able to locate themselves in this 
way, and many of them must fall prey to fishes in their transit. 
The larvae just emerged from the egg have all the general 
characteristics of the mature larvae, with the addition of many 
long, stiff hairs [pl.27, fig.13].. These hairs are very similar | 
to those found on recently hatched butterfly larvae, as they 
liave been figured by Dr S. H. Scudder.1. In specimens 
kept in aquaria it was found that these hairs were soon 
Shed. It has not been possible to determine anything as to 
their function, though they may have to do with freeing the 
larva from the eggshell or they may be for entangling a supply 
of air to be used by the larva till it finds some of the roots of 
Nymphaea, though this certainly can not be the reason for their 
oecurrence in the larvae of the butterilies. 
With such conditions as those under which this study was 
made it was neither practicable nor possible to follow the larva 
from the time it left the egg till it began feeding on the roots 
of Nymphaea. In this pond there was only one species of 
Donacia larvae found in great abundance feeding on the under- 
ground stems of Nymphaea, there was only one species of adult 
found abundantly on the leaves of the plant, and in both cases 
this was palmata. There was only a single kind of egg 
found abundantly that produced Donacia larvae, and this, to- 
gether with the above circumstances, certainly warrants the 
conclusion that these were the eggs of Donacia palmata. 
‘When the large underground stems were examined, they were 
usually found covered with larvae of various sizes and with 
cocoons [pl.22]. The larvae were found clinging to the larger 
roots and feeding on the fine rootlets with which the roots are 
covered. Several roots are shown that appear to be covered 
with minute tubercles [pl.227]. These tubercles are the places 
from which the rootlets have been cut off by the larvae. In 
addition to the above, the larvae also eat holes in the apices 
of the larger roots. A larva feeding in this way is shown on 
plate 27, figure 18, where the head, prothorax, and mesothorax 
1Scudder, S. H. Butterflies of the Eastern United States. v.3, p.70-738. 
