﻿GENERAL 
  BIOLOGICAL 
  CHARACTERS 
  OF 
  THE 
  ALUCITIDES. 
  

  

  99 
  

  

  and 
  then 
  flattened. 
  Those 
  examined 
  vary 
  in 
  size 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  proportion 
  

   of 
  their 
  different 
  diameters, 
  but 
  all 
  have 
  this 
  general 
  form 
  ; 
  they 
  are 
  

   smooth, 
  bright 
  and 
  polished, 
  and 
  have 
  faint 
  markings 
  of 
  a 
  network 
  

   tending 
  to 
  a 
  hexagonal 
  mesh. 
  In 
  some 
  cases 
  the 
  narrowing 
  towards 
  

   the 
  small 
  end 
  is 
  not 
  so 
  evident, 
  and 
  in 
  others, 
  e.g., 
  Adkinia 
  bipuncti- 
  

   dactyla, 
  the 
  egg 
  might 
  almost 
  be 
  called 
  cylindrical. 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  Although 
  the 
  

   Alucitid 
  egg 
  thus 
  varies 
  within 
  wide 
  limits, 
  there 
  is 
  not 
  the 
  remotest 
  

   suggestion 
  in 
  its 
  structure 
  of 
  the 
  Chrysocoridid 
  egg 
  (Trans. 
  Ent. 
  Soc. 
  

   Lond., 
  1896, 
  pi. 
  vi., 
  fig. 
  3), 
  with 
  which 
  group 
  an 
  alliance 
  has 
  been 
  

   supposed 
  to 
  exist. 
  It 
  is 
  horizontal, 
  but 
  with 
  sufficiently 
  smooth 
  surface 
  

   to 
  give 
  some 
  support 
  to 
  the 
  idea 
  that 
  it 
  belongs 
  to 
  the 
  Anthrocerid 
  stirps." 
  

   The 
  eggs 
  are 
  pale 
  green 
  or 
  yellow 
  in 
  colour 
  when 
  first 
  laid, 
  and 
  usually 
  

   the 
  oval 
  stage 
  is 
  a 
  short 
  one, 
  although 
  Oidaematophorus 
  lithodactyla 
  

   hybernates 
  in 
  this 
  stage 
  (teste 
  Chapman), 
  the 
  young 
  larva 
  developing 
  

   rapidly 
  in 
  the 
  shell 
  and 
  living 
  therein 
  until 
  the 
  spring. 
  Roughly, 
  the 
  

   two 
  main 
  subdivisions 
  into 
  which 
  the 
  Alucitids 
  fall 
  exhibit 
  their 
  own 
  

   oval 
  peculiarities 
  ; 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  Alucitines 
  have 
  a 
  flatter 
  egg, 
  more 
  oval 
  

   in 
  outline, 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  Platyptiliines 
  are 
  rather 
  larger, 
  more 
  cylindrical, 
  

   with 
  the 
  micropylar 
  end 
  rather 
  more 
  truncate, 
  whilst 
  the 
  allied 
  Agdistid 
  

   egg 
  has 
  an 
  almost 
  brick- 
  shaped 
  appearance, 
  the 
  micropylar 
  end 
  flattened 
  

   and 
  rather 
  depressed, 
  the 
  nadir 
  rounded 
  ; 
  the 
  margin 
  of 
  the 
  square 
  

   micropylar 
  end 
  being 
  further 
  specialised 
  by 
  having 
  a 
  raised 
  and 
  beaded 
  

   border. 
  Chapman 
  gives 
  the 
  following 
  tabulation 
  of 
  the 
  sizes 
  of 
  eggs 
  

   which 
  he 
  measured 
  in 
  3 
  diameters 
  : 
  — 
  

  

  

  Length. 
  

  

  Width.* 
  

  

  Height.* 
  

  

  Adactylus 
  bennetii 
  

  

  •77mm. 
  

  

  •30mm., 
  -40mm. 
  

  

  •30mm., 
  -28mm. 
  

  

  Adkinia 
  bipunctidactyla. 
  

  

  I 
  ^mm. 
  

   1 
  -40mm. 
  

  

  •24mm. 
  

   •24mm. 
  

  

  •21mm. 
  

  

  •21mm. 
  

  

  Stenoptilia 
  pterodactyla 
  

  

  •49mm. 
  

  

  •25mm., 
  -16mm. 
  

  

  •21mm., 
  -15mm. 
  

  

  Amblyptilia 
  co&modactyla 
  (acan- 
  

  

  

  

  

  thodactyla) 
  

  

  •46mm. 
  

  

  •27mm., 
  -23mm. 
  

  

  •23mm., 
  -20mm. 
  

  

  Marasmarcha 
  lunaedactyla 
  

  

  

  

  

  (phaeodactyla) 
  

  

  •56mm. 
  

  

  •34mm. 
  

  

  "28mm. 
  

  

  Buckleria 
  pallidum 
  

  

  •38mm. 
  

  

  •24mm. 
  

  

  •24mm. 
  

  

  Capperia 
  heterodactyla 
  (teucrii) 
  

  

  •40mm. 
  

  

  •28mm. 
  

  

  •21mm. 
  

  

  Platyptilia 
  yonodactyla 
  

  

  •60mm. 
  

  

  •36mm. 
  

  

  •30mm. 
  

  

  i 
  Platyptilia 
  isodactyla, 
  . 
  . 
  

  

  •54mm. 
  

  

  •33mm. 
  

  

  •27mm., 
  -2 
  1mm. 
  

  

  Fredericiua 
  calodactyla 
  (zetter- 
  

  

  

  

  

  stedtii) 
  

  

  •52mm. 
  

  

  •30mm. 
  

  

  •26mm.. 
  -18mm. 
  

  

  Oidaematophorus 
  lithodactyla 
  

  

  1 
  -52mm. 
  

   1 
  -48 
  mm. 
  

  

  •36mm., 
  -27mm. 
  

   •32mm., 
  -30mm. 
  

  

  •21mm. 
  

   •25mm.. 
  -22111111. 
  

  

  Leioptilus 
  tephradactyla 
  

  

  •41mm. 
  

  

  *28mm. 
  

  

  '20mm. 
  

  

  Ovendenia 
  septodactyla 
  (lieniyi- 
  

  

  

  

  

  anus) 
  

  

  •35mm. 
  

  

  •22mm. 
  

  

  •17mm. 
  

  

  Adaina 
  microdactyla 
  

  

  a 
  35mm. 
  

  

  *24mm. 
  

  

  •17mm. 
  

  

  Porrittia 
  galactodactyla 
  

  

  •42mm. 
  

  

  *28mm. 
  

  

  •24mm. 
  

  

  Alucita 
  pentadactyla 
  .. 
  

  

  i 
  "48mm. 
  

  

  i 
  -51111111. 
  

  

  ■33mm., 
  '30mm. 
  

   '36mm. 
  

  

  •23mm. 
  

   *30mm. 
  

  

  JVheeleria 
  megadactyla 
  (spilo- 
  

  

  

  

  

  dactyla) 
  

  

  •45mm. 
  

  

  •30mm. 
  

  

  >24mm. 
  

  

  * 
  This 
  tabulation 
  of 
  egg-sizes 
  takes 
  account 
  also 
  of 
  form. 
  When 
  two 
  dimen- 
  

   sions 
  are 
  given 
  the 
  outline 
  is 
  not 
  oval, 
  hut 
  ovoid. 
  The 
  points 
  :it 
  which 
  measure- 
  

   ment 
  has 
  been 
  made 
  are 
  not 
  at 
  places 
  definable 
  tor 
  all 
  eggs, 
  hut 
  are 
  (1) 
  widest. 
  {'2) 
  

   at 
  a 
  point 
  where 
  the 
  measurement 
  is 
  still 
  side 
  to 
  side 
  and 
  not 
  on 
  actual 
  end- 
  largely 
  

   a 
  matter 
  of 
  guess 
  and 
  varying 
  with 
  each 
  egg. 
  

  

  