182 



SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



[August 1, 1866 



where this should be from its own length, for we 

 saw the yellow antennae busily feeling or listening 

 (we know not which, and it may be both) for the 

 soft spot, before the attempt was made with the 

 ovipositor. 



As this fly had failed, we gently released the one 

 which had made half its bore, and set her to work 

 again. Having a weapon of the right length, she 

 immediately fixed upon a spot, and began precisely 

 as the other had done. When the weapon was in- 

 serted, the sheath was released, and remained hori- 

 zontal, while the auger was pressed vertically from 

 its point of attachment half-way up the broad ab- 

 domen. It was then worked a little backwards and 

 forwards, and from side to side, just as a carpenter 

 would carefully use a slender awl. It was tedious 

 work, and took the creature twenty-three minutes, 

 while we ate our luncheon and waited in the hot 

 sun, the animal keeping its horns and yellow legs 

 perfectly still, the black auger alone being actively 

 in motion. When the weapon had been buried half 

 an inch (it is rather longer than this), it was pretty 

 quickly withdrawn, and another spot selected, the 

 fly walking along with a jerking motion like an ant, 

 and again commencing operations. We took pos- 

 session of our unfortunate friend who had not pro- 

 vided herself with a sufficient instrument, but still 

 kept trying her impossible task. And I fear, having 

 been rewarded for humanity in advance, I should 

 have sent it in this letter, but she made her way out 

 of a paper bag six or seven times folded, and then 

 out of the basket, so we considered her liberty and 

 life fairly won again, and contented ourselves with 

 the dead specimen enclosed, which was attached to 

 the next telegraph-post, and, from its position, had 

 probably died in the act of boring and weakening 

 our national communications. The ants had very 

 properly eaten the soft abdomen, and left the dry 

 parts, so I cannot send you the curious weapon. 



J. W. Salter. 



HAWTHORN CATERPILLAR. 



O EVERAL communications havingreached us this 

 ^ year, as well as last, inquiring concerning the 

 caterpillar which strips the leaves from the haw- 



Fig. 168. 



7t >:tw - 



thorn so assiduously in the neighbourhood of Lon- 

 don and elsewhere, we are induced to give a figure 

 of the insect in its three stages of caterpillar, pupa, 

 and imago, for the benefit of those querists. The 



name by which the perfect insect is known to ento- 

 mologists is Hyponomeuta Padella, and its place 

 will be found amongst the Tineina, in Swainson's 

 "Manual," vol. ii. p. 308. The larva feeds on the 

 apple and other trees, as well as the hawthorn, and 

 is destructive on account of its immense numbers. 

 All the figures are represented natural size. 



TRICERATIUM. 



/"CLOSELY allied to Biddulphia and Isthmia, the 

 ^ two genera of diatoms illustrated in our las.t, 

 are Triceratium vxA Amphitetras, associated together 

 in a small group, to which the name of Anguliferce 

 has been given. In this group the valves are 

 angular, and the frustules are united into a linear 

 series, or by short stipes at the angles. 









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■ 



fe£3S\ 



,,•.'.;■>":, .A 

 ■ \ 





Fig. 169. Triceratium striolatum. 



Triceratium is represented in Britain by about 

 ten species. The valve is triangular, rarely with 

 four or five angles, frustules free, united into a con- 

 tinuous or zigzag filament. The species selected for 

 illustration is Triceratium striolatum, fig. 169. 





SO O'-' O 



Fig. 170. Amphitetras antediluviana. 



Amphitetras is represented by one species, of 

 which we give a figure (fig. 170). In this genus the 

 valve is quadrangular, the somewhat tumid angles 

 faintly marked, and looking like openings, the cubi- 

 form frustules cohering into a zigzag attached 

 filament (fig. 171). 



Fig. 1/1. Amphitetras antedilunnna. 



