"From the ventral side of the ample crop that precedes the stomach,
there springs in _F. ornata_ a perpendicular membrane or veil, partly
extending across the cavity. This is free, except at the vertical edge,
by which it is attached to the side of the chamber, and being ample and
of great delicacy, it continually floats and waves from side to side. At
the bottom of this _veil_, but on the dorsal side, are placed the jaws,
consisting of a pair of curved, unjointed, but free _mallei_, with a
membranous process beneath each."
The Beautiful Floscule could always be made to repeat the process of
retreating into her den, and coming out again to spread her elegant
plumes before our eyes, by giving the table a smart knock, and her
colours and structure were well exhibited by the dark-ground
illumination, which has been explained in a previous page.
An object like this should be watched at intervals for hours and even
days, especially if the eggs are nearly ready to give up their infantile
contents. This was the case with the specimen described, and after a few
hours a young Floscule escaped, looking very much like a clumsy little
grub. After a few awkward wriggles the new-born baby became more quiet,
and on looking at it again at the expiration of seventeen hours, it had
developed into the shape of a miniature plum-pudding, with five or six
tiny lobes expanding their tufts of slender hair. Unfortunately its
further proceedings were not seen, or it would have been interesting to
note the growth of the foot, and the formation of the gelatinous tube,
which is probably thrown off in rings.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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