722 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



because it is the first record of the occurrence of a Phasmid in 

 Tasmania. 



Aquatic Insects of New York State.* — As the result of studies 

 conducted at the entomological field-station, Ithaca, New York, under 

 the direction of Ephraim Porter Felt, we have a valuable volume of 

 reports which adds much to the knowledge of aquatic insects, and will 

 facilitate subsequent investigations. 



J. G. Needham describes the life-history of Zygopterous Odonata — 

 the " damsel flies," and some new life-histories of Diptera ; A. D. Mac- 

 Gillivray deals with aquatic Chrysomelida3, and gives a table of the 

 families of Coleopterous larvse ; 0. A. Johannsen discusses aquatic 

 Nematocerous Diptera ; and K. C. Davis contributes a monograph on 

 Sialididse of both North and South America. 



Of much interest is J. G. Needham's account of the food (chiefly 

 Chironomidge) of the brook trout, and his description of the larva of 

 Epiphragma fastipennis, a Dipterous burrower in fallen willow and 

 buttonbush stems lying on the banks of temporary pools. Its residence 

 is sometimes submerged, sometimes exposed, and it has a mode of re- 

 spiration suited to either condition. MacGillivray's careful study of the 

 respiratory apparatus of the Donatio, larva solves the old problem as to 

 how the animal, a dweller on the submerged roots of water plants, gets 

 its air — by tapping the store held in the intercellular air-spaces of the 

 plants. The volume has many beautiful plates, some coloured. 



North American Trichodectidee.f — -Max Morse gives a synopsis of 

 the North American species of Trkhodectes (biting-lice), which feed on 

 the scales and epidermic excretions of Mammals. Much attention is 

 paid to the so-called " abdominal appendage " of Piaget — a growth of 

 the posterior ventral edge of the antepenultimate segment of the abdo- 

 men in the female. Its function is partly in clinging to the hairs of 

 the host, but more especially in the adjustment of the eggs to the hairs. 

 It furnishes excellent specific criteria. Eighteen species are described ; 

 their division into ruminant, carnivore, and rodent types strikes one as 

 unnecessarily quaint. 



/3. Myriopoda. 



Marine Myriopods.f — €urt Hennings discusses the distribution of 

 Scolioplanes maritimus Bergsoe and Meinert (? = Geophilus marimis 

 Leach), and Schendyla submarina Grube, which are both truly littoral. 

 He has made a particular study of the habits of the first-named species, 

 which is well adapted to live in a fluid medium. It can survive 30 

 hours' submersion in sea-water, and 70-80 hours' in fresh-water. Many 

 Myriopods have this adaptability in greater or less degree. 



Intercalary Segments.§ — K. W. Verhoeff discusses the intercalary 

 segments of Chilopoda, with reference to the intermediate segments 

 (" Zivischensegmente ") of insects. The trunk region of Chilopods was, 



* Bull. New York State Museum, No. 68 (1903) pp. 199-517 (52 pis.). 



t Anier. Naturalist, xxxvii. (1903) pp. 608-24 (18 figs.). 



% Biol. Centralbl., xxiii. (1903) pp. 720-5. 



§ Archiv.Naturges.lxix. (1903) pp. 427-41(1 pi.). 



