HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



209 



wLicli species it is ascribed. Ophion hdeum is one 

 of our largest species, and parasitic upon the great 

 larva of the Puss-moth {Bicranura vinnla), so that, 

 apart from the certainty afforded by the figure, it is 

 obvious that no instinct could compel so "canny" a 

 creature as an Ichneumon (whose whole functions are 

 anticipatory for the good of its progeny, not itself) 

 to deposit an egg in so unsuitable a pabulum as an 

 Aphis. The Ichneiimofi figured is one of the very 

 minute species, probably an Aphiduis, a genus well 

 known to be parasitic on Aphides (hence its name, 

 indeed). Ophion hdeum, instead of being " about a 

 line " long, as stated, is nearer eight lines ; it is the 

 common testaceous-red species that often flies to 

 light. Its abdomen is sickle-shaped with terebra. 

 Your paper is now getting of so much higher a 

 standard than before, that such an error, unnoticed, 

 is really likely to hurt it. — E. C. Rye. 



Provincial Societies.— We notice with pleasure 

 the " Journal of Proceedings " of the Winchester 

 and Hampshire Literary and Scientific Society. It 

 is a well printed, fairly illustrated, and thoroughly 

 creditable brochure, containing, besides several 

 literary papers of merit, scientific essays and ad- 

 dresses by the Rev. E. Eirmetore, E.R.A.S., on the 

 " Star Depths ;" " the Probable Origin of Eliuts," 

 by Mr. A. Angell, in which this difficult question is 

 very ably handled; "Parasitic Eungi common in 

 the Neighbourhood," by the Honorary Secretary, 

 Mr. E. J. Warner, E.L.S., a short but valuable 

 contribution to this important .subject ; and 

 "Hampshire Insects," by the Rev, W. W. Spicer. 

 The new series of the "Proceedings of the Bristol 

 Naturalists' Society " has slso been published. 

 The paper on Dundry Gasteropods," by E. B. 

 Tawney, F.G.S., is excellently illustrated with 

 lithographs of the best fossil shells, so that it is a 

 capital contribution to local geology. Mr. W. W. 

 Stoddart's paper on " The Desmidiaj of the Bristol 

 Neighbourhood " will also be 'appreciated by algo- 

 logists. The present part is certainly the best this 

 Society has yet issued, and we sincerely compliment 

 them on its production, with a word of advice to 

 give preference to papers on local rather than on 

 foreign natural history. 



The Canterbury Tick. — As this interesting- 

 animal is likely to be largely sought for throughout 

 England by entomologists, perhaps the following 

 extract respecting the species at present known 

 may be of interest. I take the account from Baron 

 Walchenaer's "Histoire Nat. des Insectes Aptcres," 

 iii. 229, &c., forming part of the beautiful series 

 known as the " Suites a Buffon." Paris : 1814. 

 "Argas (Lafreille,' Precis des Caract. gen. des Ins.,' 

 ix. 178). — These animals, whose external characters 

 have been studied by M. Savigny with great care, 

 are truly parasitic. Two of them live on birds ; 

 another, which has become famous under the name 



of Argas persictis, often inflicts terrible pains on 

 man. This species — respecting which M. Fischer 

 de Waldheim has published a monograph with the 

 title of ' The Persian Argas, the Malleh of Mianeh,' 

 described under the name of the Venomous Bug of 

 Mianeh (4° Acad, of Moscow, 1823), has given occa- 

 sion to much exaggeration on the part of travellers. 

 The body is oval, elongate, more contracted before 

 than in the bed-bug, to which it may be compared. 

 The upper surface is garnished with small whitish 

 grains, giving it the appearance of shagreened 

 leather. A border runs round the sides, which are 

 slightly divided at the apex. The colour is a 

 bright blood-red; the back being sprinkled with 

 elevated white points ; the feet are pale (fig. 

 Atlas, 33, 6). Other species are Argas reflexus, 

 Latr. ; Ixodes marginatus, E. ; Rhynchoprion columbce, 

 Hermann ; A. (roguloides,Gei-vais ; A. Savignpi, A.ud. 

 (fig. Atlas, 31) ; A. Fischeri, And. (Atlas, 33, 5) ; 

 A. Hermanni, Aud. ; A. mauritianus, Guerin ; A, 

 chinche, Goudot ; and A. erraticus, Lucas ; the last 

 an Algerian species. A. reflexus lives parasitically 

 on pigeons, whose blood it sucks. Extraordinary 

 numbers are sometimes seen on these birds, espe. 

 cially on the young. When swollen with blood, the 

 body is soft and the divisions of the abdomen are 

 no longer distinct. Hermann kept one alive for 

 eight months in a glass without any food ; during 

 which time nothing passed from it, nor did he per- 

 ceive the slightest diminution in its size or any 

 symptom of decay. Latreille states that he has 

 found this animal wandering about houses. The 

 body, which is large, is marked all over with 

 tortuous channels and pits ; the colour is yellow, or 

 violet when full fed. Argas troguloides is about the 

 size of the itch-insect {Sarcoptes) . It is of a 

 yellowish colour, and was found by us in a garden at 

 Paris, on the surface of the soil, in spots shaded by 

 the leaves of i)lants. Argas mauritianus supports 

 itself on fowls in the island from which it derives 

 its specific name, and often occasions great losses 

 in the poultry-yards. Argas chinche lives in the 

 temperate parts of Columbia. Its habits are similar 

 to those ^of A. persicus, and, like it, it persecutes 

 mankind. In size it resembles the common bed- 

 bug ; but is of a totally different colour when full 

 fed."— /T. W. S. 



A Neav British Crustacean.— In the Atmals 

 and Magazine of Natural History for July, the Rev. 

 T, R. Stebbing describes a new species of amphi- 

 podous Crustacea, under the name of Liljeborgia 

 Normanni. The specimen was taken under a stone • 

 in Salcombe Harbour. Its colour was orange, mottled 

 with rose-red, and its length, exclusive of the 

 antennae, was three-tenths of an inch. Subsequently 

 a female specimen was obtained, whose adult state 

 was indicated by its having a pouch containing 



