S. Hadwkn 
293 
palpi were parted as in sucking blo(3d. At times it was nuticed that he 
was moving his mouthparts; later he worked more actively and appeared 
to he enlarging the opening ; he then depressed his capitulum so that 
his mouthparts were no longer visible. It looked as though he had 
withdrawn them from the female vulva and had directed them towanls 
his genital aperture where they appeared to be working. A minute or 
two afterwards his mouthparts were again visible (palpi not parted, nor 
was the hypostome in the female vulva). A glistening fluid was now seen 
which increased in amount, and Anally surrounded the mouthparts and 
the vulva. The fluid was later seen to he of a reddish tinge; possibly it 
originated from the female, as she passed a similar looking material from 
hey anus during the act. 
After a time, before the male abandoned the female, he was seen to 
move up her body so that his hypostome was on a level with hers; 
the genital oriflces would be in juxtaposition. These movements were 
repeated several times. The reasons for them were made apparent 
later, when a spermatophore was found attached partly within the vulva. 
Judging from the movements of the male at one stage of the act, he 
was exerting pressure with his body to expel the contents of the 
spermatophore, and when he retreated he felt about with his mouth¬ 
parts as though to ascertain if the spermatophore was in position. After 
the male had abandoned the female the fluid surrounding the vulva was 
gently removed with a brush and a collapsed spermatophore was found 
attached. The accompanying photograph, Ag. 7, shows the spermatophore 
attached to the vidva. 
Time required for D. venustus to gorge on sheep. 
The average time for the Arst six females which dropped off gorged 
was 6'5 days (the shortest period four days, the longest ten days). 
Weights of females before and after gorging on sheep. 
3 ^s unengorged: average weight = 0‘001 gramme. 
1 $ (gorged) weighed 0'610 gramme. 
1 ? » 0-550 „ 
1 ? „ O-AOO 
Average = 0-587 „ 
Pre-oviposition period lasted eight days at summer heat and four, Ave 
and six days in the case of three ^s with intermittent heat in incubator 
at 32° C. 
