OF THE MALTESE ISLANDS, 67 
by two slender hair-like rods which are highly chitinised and form the ‘ intro- 
mittent organ” which has already been described (p. 61) as extending into and 
in some cases considerably beyond the penis-sheath or juxta. 
OVIPOSITION OF PHLEBOTOMUS IN CAPTIVITY. 
The act of oviposition was observed on several occasions and was not without 
interest, as the insect assumed a position which seemed altogether unique and 
extraordinary. In the first instance, a female with ripe ova was placed in a 
small glass-topped box, the bottom of which was within focal distance of a lens 
magnifying 8 diameters. She was supplied with blotting paper which had been 
soaked in clean water. On placing this in the box the insect immediately 
alighted upon it, brought her proboscis into contact with the paper, and after a 
few seconds appeared to be perfectly intoxicated and helpless. Unfortunately 
she struggled away and was finally hidden beneath the paper so that further 
observations at the time were impossible. After an interval of a few minutes 
she reappeared, crawled up the side of the box, and one and a half hours later 
seemed as active as when first captured. On the following day at 9.30 a.m. a 
fresh supply of wet blotting paper was placed in her cage when in less than 
sixty seconds she alighted upon it and assumed the same extraordinary attitude 
as on the previous evening at 6 p.m., collapsing immediately and placing her 
legs so that the middle and hind pairs were crossed behind the abdomen, the 
front pair remaining almost ina normal position. The abdomen was then elevated 
and extended to the full and three eggs were laid at short intervals. Each egg 
appeared under the lens as a tiny translucent drop of fluid and was ejected with 
considerable force to a distance equal to about three times that of the length of 
the abdomen. This process lasted for about two minutes, and afterwards the 
female crawled slowly away and up the side of the box, appearing weak and 
fatigued. Here she remained almost motionless for nearly three hours, gradually 
raising the whole of the body until it assumed a normal resting attitude. 
On removing the blotting paper which had been placed in the cage the previous 
evening, seven additional eggs were found and these were evidently laid the 
previous evening when the insect was observed to go through the evolutions 
which have just been described. At 12.30 a.m. the same day she repeated the 
process when freshly moistened blotting paper was supplied. On this occasion 
two eggs were laid and these were found attached together side by side. At 
5 p.m. two additional eggs were laid, the same curious attitude being assumed as 
before, but although frequently supplied with fresh wet blotting paper she did 
not produce any more eggs, and at 10 p.m. she died. On making an examination 
of the abdomen it was found to contain eight fully developed ova so that it is 
quite evident that this female had laid eggs elsewhere and previously to her 
capture. 
The act of oviposition was seen on subsequent occasions, but in two instances 
the females died after remaining in a collapsed condition for periods of two and 
a half hours, and three hours and three-quarters, respectively. Both examples 
had their abdomens well filled with ripe ova and had apparently not laid any 
egos before they were captured. 
19127 E 2 
