146 HOME STUDIES IN NATURE. 



well developed contained one or more, or their remains, 

 in various stages of digestion. The larva pf Chirono- 

 mus was the largest and most constant animal found. 

 On some of the stems that I examined, fully nine 

 out of every ten of the utricles contained this larva 

 or its remains. When first caught it was fierce, thrust- 

 ing out its horns and feet and drawing them back, but 

 otherwise it seemed partly paralyzed, moving its body 

 but very little; even small larvae of this species that 

 had plenty of room to swim about were soon very 

 quiet, although they showed signs of life from twenty- 

 four to thirty -six hours after they were imprisoned. 

 In about twelve hours, as nearly as I could make out, 

 they lost the power of drawing their feet back, and 

 could only move the brush -like appendages. There 

 was some variation as to the time when maceration or 

 digestion began to take place, but usually, on a growing 

 spray, in less than two days after a large larva was capt- 

 ured the fluid contents of the utricles began to assume 

 a cloudy or muddy appearance, and often became so 

 dense that the outline of the animal was lost to view. 



