. The Biological bulletin. Biology; Zoology; Biology; Marine Biology. 54 WALTER N. HESS. and moss. In confinement, at the insectary, oviposition was observed on several occasions. The female walked slowly over the soil, thrusting out her long ovipositor into the depressions in the earth, where the light yellowish eggs were deposited. Eggs laid by these females were usually deposited singly, though sometimes in masses. Some were placed from one eighth to a quarter of an inch underneath the surface, others on the surface, and some were deposited on the roots, basal stems and leaves of moss and g
. The Biological bulletin. Biology; Zoology; Biology; Marine Biology. 54 WALTER N. HESS. and moss. In confinement, at the insectary, oviposition was observed on several occasions. The female walked slowly over the soil, thrusting out her long ovipositor into the depressions in the earth, where the light yellowish eggs were deposited. Eggs laid by these females were usually deposited singly, though sometimes in masses. Some were placed from one eighth to a quarter of an inch underneath the surface, others on the surface, and some were deposited on the roots, basal stems and leaves of moss and grass. The egg (Fig. 6) is FIG. 6. Photurus pennsylva- nicaegg. small, nearly spherical, about .7 by .8 mm. in diameter. It is without surface markings, though at the time of laying it is covered with an adhesive surface. It is frequently stated in literature that the eggs of fireflies are luminous, and Williams (1917) states that the eggs of this species glow when deposited and probably continue to emit light until the time of hatching. The certainty of this statement seems in doubt. At the time of laying, the eggs were found to be very slightly luminescent for a period of two days, but in no case did they, at this period nor until the light-organs of the larva were developed, definitely emit light. Eggs removed from the ovaries of a ripe female showed no evidence of luminosity, though Williams thought he saw a light in some of the eggs that he so removed. Fabre (1913) states that the eggs are lumin- ous even before leaving the body of the mother, but this seems very much in doubt. The so-called luminescence of the eggs at the time of laying is probably due to the substance with which they are covered, rather than to any internal property of their own, and as this becomes dry the slight luminescence disappears. At a period about four days before the eggs hatch the larval light-organs become functional, and from this time until hatching, the eggs emit a distinct light. In the br
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Keywords: ., bookauthorlilliefrankrat, booksubjectbiology, booksubjectzoology
