CHAPTER VI 



INSECTS' EGGS 



The extraordinary variety of artistic forms, ex 

 quisitely sculptured surfaces, iridescent colours 

 and colour markings, exhibited by the tiny eggs 

 of almost all insects, offer to the observer witli 

 the microscope a fascinating field. Apart from 

 the ccsthetic pleasure derived from the study of 

 these beautiful things, a great deal of general 

 knowledge of the insects themselves is gained. 

 It is even possible to classify butterflies correctly 

 by their eggs. 



And the endeavours of naturalists to identify 

 the eggs of insects by observing where and how 

 they are deposited, and by watching their sub- 

 sequent development, have resulted in abundant 

 knowledge concerning the lives of insects, in place 

 of the superstitious theories and fanciful reasonings 

 of less than a century ago. 



No longer are maggots, flies, and swarms of 

 bees supposed to be spontaneously generated 

 from putrefying substances. Nor could any man 



