20 THE SUGAR-BEET WIEEWORM. 
seems to have little effect on the hatching of the eggs, as some which 
•were kept partiallT submerged part of the time hatched in good 
shape. 
As hatching time approached, large, irregular, hyaline areas ap- 
peared in the eggs m various places. At first nothing could be seen 
of the embryo, but about a week before hatching its outlines could 
be made out with difficulty. The embryo became little plainer, 
even at th-e time of hatching. 
LENGTH OF EGG STAGE. 
The length of the egg stage varied under laboratory conditions 
from 23 to 33 days, most of the eggs hatching in from 27 to 30 days, 
so that the length of the egg stage may be roughly considered as a 
month. It seems probable that the period might be shortened mate- 
riaffy under favorable conditions, out of doors, and eggs laid in the 
warm damp soil might possibly hatch in from 15 to 25 days. 
The Larva. 
emergexce from the egg. 
The larvae (PL II, Jig. h) emerge from the eggs by eating a small 
hole in the sheU and crawling out. In aU the cases noted the hole 
was very little larger than the body of the wireworm, so that it is a 
matter of a few moments for the young ^Treworm to leave the shell 
entii^ely. In the case of several which vrere timed, between two and 
seven minutes elapsed from the appearance of their heads through 
the sheU until they were entirely free. During the earlier part of the 
hatching season no eggshells could be found, and it was thought 
probable that the larva on emerging used the shell for food. Such 
did not prove to be the case, however, as later, when more eggs were 
hatching, it was observed that the larva on hatching leaves the old 
sheU almost at once. In a few cases the larvae crawled around the 
shells for a short time but did not attempt to eat them and always 
left them intact. TThere the eggs are hatchmg in the soil, the young 
larva remains for a short time in the cavity occupied by the egg. 
That the eggsheUs are quite tough was proven by the fact that 
the empty sheUs were able to retain thek shape for some time. 
THE XEWLY HATCHED LARVA. 
TMien fu'st hatched the larva (PI. II, Jig. b) is semiopaque white. 
The extreme tips of the mandibles are the only parts which show 
any color, and these are light yeUow. The general proportions of 
the newly hatched larva are very much like those of the older ones. 
They vary little in size. Theii^ average length is 2 mai. and the 
width is 0.27 mm. 
