7158 Insects. 



mouthed bottles containing water, in which I put sprigs from the trees off which ray 

 specimens were beaten. Here the insects live and thrive as well as they could possibly 

 do in their native haunts, care of course being taken not to allow the plants upon which 

 they feed to wither or dry up, but to renew them as often as they exhibit a tendency 

 to do so ; and as a few hours sun every day seems not only to be mightily enjoyed by 

 the insects, but also doubtless greatly favours their development, it would be well to 

 give them the benefit of it, in which case the plants should be changed on removing 

 the glass into the shade. Although they draw much of their nourishment from the 

 young and tender leaves of a plant, they appear to give the preference to the blossoms 

 when they can gain access to them. I find maple in flower very attractive, but less 

 so than oaks, which are now absolutely swarming with several species. So complete a 

 metamorphosis takes place in some of the species that the colour and markings of an 

 immature specimen are no guide whatever in determining what the insect will be like 

 when matured. To-day you may observe a specimen of an uniform bright rosy pink 

 colour, body and wings and all ; to-morrow it will be found to have thrown ofl" this 

 livery aud made its appearance in a sober suit of olive-green and black with just a 

 reddish or yellowish tinge on the scutellum and a silvery patch at the tip of the wing. 

 —S. Stone; June 2, 1860.— Id. 



On the Transformation of LymnophlcEiis marmoratus. — When the pupa of this 

 species is about to undergo its final change it quits the pupa-case, which is composed 

 of silk and small shells, or little bits of sticks or rushes cut into short lengths and 

 arranged transversely ; this case is left at the bottom, or, as it may happen, amongst 

 weeds floating on the surface, but those from which my observations were taken were 

 at the bottom of my aquarium, so that I had a full view of the creatures' proceedings. 

 When it first quits the pupa-case the antennae are folded back, but are soon outstretched, 

 and, as it were, feeling its way through the water. Only four of its six legs are to be 

 observed when it first quits the pupa-case ; these are the anterior and intermediate pair. 

 The posterior pair cannot be seen, as they are folded back beneath the body. This 

 appears to differ from the observations recorded in ' Weslwood's Modern Classification,' 

 in reference to Hydropsyche atomaria, Pict., but the generic characters and habits of 

 the two may make all the difference. In the species under consideration the inter- 

 mediate legs are used as natatorial, and not the posterior ; this can only be seen when 

 the creature is really shaking off its shroud of a pupa-skin, and as this becomes ruptured 

 along the back the posterior legs are observed being drawn out from beneath the body. 

 The intermediate or natatorial legs are furnished with long ciliae to enable it to propel 

 itself through the water from the bottom upwards to some plant where it can entirely 

 rid itself of its skin. When the pupa has reached some leaf, while yet beneath tbe 

 water, it appears to rest for awhile ; the abdomen at the same time is kept in constant 

 motion up and down. The pupal envelope or skin is much inflated round the abdo- 

 men, and seems only to be attached to the animal at the apex and the minute tubes 

 leading to the trachea. These tubes are distinctly seen through the transparent pupal 

 skin, and are darker in colour. The apical portion of the wing-cases are free, not as 

 those of the Lepidoplera, attached to the sides of the pupa-case ; the free apices are a 

 great assistance to the insect when moving through the water. In this way, at every 

 stroke of the natatorial legs, the creature is propelled forwards, bul from its gravity 

 being heavier than the element in which it moves would fall back again. These free 

 apices, at every relaxation of the swimming legs, spread out and prevent the creature 

 falling back, so that it is enabled to reach the surface. The antennae, which were free 



