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On the Metamorphoses 



[July 



yil.—On the Metamorphoses of the Musquito. — By W. Gilchrist, Esq. 

 of the Madras Medical Establishment. 



The following are a few observations I lately made on the succes- 

 sive forms the Musquito assumes, before becoming the troublesome 

 insect known under that name. Not having, at present, an opportunity 

 of learning whether they add any thing new to the natural history of the 

 insect, I trust, if they do not, this communication may be put aside.* 



The Musquito has three stages of existence, in two of which it is a 

 water insect, in the third the well known winged one — 6th May, 6 a. m. 

 I observed several Musquitos on the surface of some stagnant water, 

 each in close proximity to a yellowish substance, which, when viewed 

 through a microscope, proved to be a collection of eggs that the mus- 

 quitos were depositing ; ea"h collection, though consisting of not fewer 

 than one hundred eggs, did not exceed three twentieths of an inch in 

 length, and about one twentieth of an inch in breadth . These eggs 

 were arranged in lines, standing on end, and were each about l-40th 

 of an inch long; the lower end being larger than the upper, so that 

 the upper surface of the collection was somewhat concave. 



A few of these collections of ova were carefully introduced, with 

 some of the water on which they floated, into a tumbler, and placed 

 under a glass shade. Excepting a change of colour, from a yellow to 

 a dark brownish grey, which occurred within six hours after being put 

 into the tumbler, no visible alteration took place, till two days and a 

 half, when the water was found to swarm with animalculae. The 

 shells of the ova were still adherent, as when first observed. On exa- 

 mining one minutely, the larger, or under, end was found to have 

 opened, like a lid, to allow the insect to escape into the water. A 

 lady's thimble, furnished with a lid, would resemble exactly the ap- 

 pearance of what is being described. The design of having the lids 

 placed at the bottom, is, evidently, to allow the newly hatched animal- 



* The information, contained in this interesting communication, 

 cannot be supposed, in the present advanced state of our knowledge 

 of natural history, to be altogether new, but several observations 

 are perfectly original, as far as we are able to ascertain, and 

 would entitle the paper to admission into the pages of any Journal 

 devoted to matters of science. Moreover, whether novel or not, the 

 highly intelligent author is entitled to the full credit of independent ob- 

 servation, not having access to books on the subject, in the retired sta- 

 tion (Hoonsoor) at which he is resident ; and we gladly, therefore, give 

 a place to the article, not only on account of its intrinsic value and 

 interest, but as an incentive to others, to institute observations and 

 enquiries in the wide field of nature, spread out before them on all 

 sides, and inviting their attention. — Editor, 



