226 WILSON P. GEE. 



of the body. These larval oenocytes degenerate in the pupal 

 stage. The imaginal oenocytes originate at about the same time 

 through mitotic division of the hypodermal cells on the ventral 

 side of the abdominal segments. They are described as very 

 much smaller than the larval oenocytes, never equalling them 

 in size. 



\Veissenberg (1907) finds in a well grown larva of Torymus 

 ni'^ricornis, over one hundred oenocytes, presenting no definite 

 arrangement, and scattered about among the fat-bodies. They 

 are in no way limited to the abdomen, nor do they necessarily 

 have the definite tracheal attachments observed by Wielowiejski 

 and others. The principal degeneration of the larval cenocytes 

 occurs in the stage which he calls the "gelben Puppe." The 

 larvae shortly before pupation contain the imaginal cenocytes in 

 the form of special cenocyte imaginal plates, which are laid in 

 the niches of the dorsal hypodermis in the fifth to eleventh 

 abdominal segments. 



With regard to the function of these cells he says: "Schon 

 oben habe i h mich gegen die Auffassung der Zelleinschliisse als 

 Exc ete ausgesprochen, mochte aber hier nicht das fur Urate 

 characterische Bild der braunen, radiar gestreiften, runden Krys- 

 tallkorper darbieten, sondern an den frischen Zellen homogen und 

 farblos erscheinen. ' 



ORIGINAL OBSERVATIONS. 



In the larva.' of Platyphylax designatus, the cenocytes are limited 

 to the abdomen. A careful search through serial sections of 

 the thorax of several individuals in different larval stages showrd 

 no traces of cenocytes in this portion of the body. They are in 

 no way limited, however, to certain abdominal segments bin 

 occur in all, the larger number being present in segments two to 

 seven. The definite tracheal attachments observed by many of 

 tli \\orkers on this subject have not been seen in this insect. 

 This ob-.erv.ii ion agrees essentially with that of Weissenberg 

 (i<)<>7) in Torynms ni^rirnrnis: "Von einer Befestigung an Tra- 

 cheencapillaren, habe ich nicht> bemerkt." 



The eenocytes occur both dorsally and ventrally, by far the 

 gre.tter number occupying the hitler position. The- larger <IMIO- 



