14 
fed sparingly upou the small flowers aucl tender stems, but soon left 
the branches and could not be induced to remain long. The female 
shows no inclination whatever to deposit her eggs upon the last-named 
host-plants except as they may be found in corn fields or near by 
From here the young worms can easily migrate to the corn plants near 
at hand, and from observations already cited it is quite probable that 
they do so. These last observations have, furthermore, led me to sus- 
pect that the female may occasionally deposit upon all weeds or other 
plants indiscriminately growing in a corn field and suitable for this 
purpose. 
CHARACTERS AND TRANSFORMATIONS, 
THE EGG. 
The egg is oval, the greatest diameter being very near the base. It 
tapers but little from the point of greatest diameter to the base, but 
slants much more towards the apex. The vertical diameter averages 
0.375 millimetres, the horizontal and greatest diameter 0.5 millimetres. 
The sculpture of the eggs consists of polar ribs with cross bars, giving 
them a checkered-appearing surface. When first deposited the egg 
appears nearly a pure white, but soon turns yellowish as the growth of 
the embryo begins, and deepens as the latter develops. After about 
25 or 30 hours that part of the embryo at the apex of the egg is notice- 
ably darker, and between it and the center of the egg a reddish or brown- 
ish band is formed. The latter so far as can be seen extends only part 
way round the egg. 
This band is later absorbed into the body of the worm and the 
darker spot at the apex is found to be the head of the developing larva. 
At this stage the body of the worm can be quite definitely seen through 
the eggshell. 
The duration of the egg state varies somewhat, as will be seen hereafter, 
with the meteorological conditions prevailing at and immediately fol- 
lowing the time of deposition. One lot of eggs deposited in confine- 
ment at night and followed by two very hot days began hatching within 
45 hours. But of a number of lots of eggs deposited in confinement 
from time to time, the duration of the egg state was usually from 2h to 
3 or 3 J days. This may be considered about the normal duration of the 
egg state. Several lots, however, which had been deposited dining un- 
favorable weather did not hatch until after 4 days 5 in a few instances 
a few hours over 5 days. 
THE LARVA. 
The newly hatched larvae, before they have taken any food, average 1.54 
millimetres in length, are slightly larger anteriorly, tapering gradually, 
as is shown by measurements of the diameters of a number of worms at 
the first, middle, and last segments, whose averages were 0.23, 0.20, and 
