REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST I9IO 9I 



making their way to the margin of the preparation and sometimes 

 escaping. A few were found lying upon the damp blotters in the 

 bottom of the box, others between the blotters and more under 

 the lower blotter on the tin bottom of the box. The larvae are 

 evidently able to remain active for considerable periods without 

 nourishment and with comparatively little oxygen, since it was 

 observed that flooding of the preparation, even though continued for 

 two or three days, apparently had no ill effect upon the larvae — 

 subsequently we found that larvae would live submerged several 

 weeks and the embryos develop. 



The above was continued by isolating one or more larvae on 

 ordinary microscopic slides. Each of these contained several small 

 slivers of wood approximately .2 mm. thick and i to 1.5 em. long. 

 These were laid upon the slide, moistened, several larvae added 

 and a square cover glass placed over the whole, the margins being 

 more or less perfectly sealed with vaseline. These preparations 

 were designed primarily to secure more accurate data as to the 

 length of the quiescent period, -to facilitate observation upon the 

 development of the embryo and also to ascertain the feasibility of 

 rearing the larvae under such conditions. It was soon noted that 

 while the vital processes were not at once inhibited by submersion, 

 they were greatly retarded and if flooding was long continued, the 

 embryos were unable to escape from the mother larva, though ap- 

 parently well developed. 



One moderate sized, apparently quiescent larva with finely granu- 

 lar contents and a brownish discoloration on one side was placed 

 in such a cell December 12, 1910, together with a moderate sized, 

 yellowish or yellowish white larva and a number of smaller ones. 

 The i6th it was evident that the adipose tissue of this large larva 

 was disintegrating, the several embryos being about one-half the 

 length of the mother larva. On the 22d the embryo was apparently 

 about three- fourths the length of the mother larva and there were 

 no signs of either head or ocular spot. The next day the develop- 

 ing ocular spot was seen as a pair of narrowly oval, fuscous, sub- 

 median bodies, while most of the posterior part of the larva was 

 filled with large, cuboidal cells arranged in a series of columns. 

 The embryo at this time extended from the fifth to the thirteenth 

 body segments of the mother larva. The following day the ocular 

 spot was more evident and the apex of the head discernible. The 

 27th we were able to recognize two embryos, both with the large 

 cells as described above. The 30th there was a distinct bulging 



