434 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



Function of the Follicular Epithelium in Melolontha vulgaris.* 

 — Th. Mollison finds that the terminal chamber of the ovarian tube 

 contains only oocytes and young epithelial cells, and that the latter alone 

 have to do with the nutrition of the growing eggs, sometimes using the 

 debris of superfluous oocytes. This nutritive activity of the epithelial 

 cells rinds structural expression in pseudopodium-like processes which 

 penetrate into the egg, and in the formation of nutritive strands, or it 

 may be a nutritive zone, around the egg. The egg also takes an active 

 part in forming its cytoplasmic reserves. 



Monograph of Australian Cicadidae.f — P. W. Goding and W. W. 

 Froggatt have done a useful piece of work in monographing the 

 Cicadidse of Australia. The paper contains descriptions of 119 species 

 included in *J1 genera. The new genus Pauropsalta is separated off from 

 Melampsalta. Attention is directed to the very wide distribution of 

 some of the forms, e.g. Tibkm willsi and Melanqisalta annalata. The 

 appearance of members of the genera Gfeana and Huechys is interesting 

 as showing the relation of Australian forms with those of the Indo- 

 Malayan region. 



Salivary Glands in Nepa cinerea4 — L. Bordas describes (1) the 

 posterior salivary glands, which consist of numerous acini opening into 

 a central canal, and resemble elongated bunches of grapes, and (2) the 

 maxillary or cephalothoracic glands, which have no connection with the 

 alimentary tract, but are associated with the posterior maxillse. 



Glands of Hemiptera.§ — L. Bordas gives an account of the salivary, 

 cephalic and metathoracic glands of various Hemiptera. One or two 

 notes on the last of these may be here given. They are paired organs 

 consisting of ramified tubes situated at the posterior extremity of the 

 sternal arch of the metathorax of Gerridaj. The central canal possesses 

 a thick chitinous coat supporting the epithelial layer. The proximal 

 extremity of each glandular tube ends in a median ovoid mass, acting as 

 a reservoir. This last opens to the exterior by a transverse slit on the 

 median line of the metathorax. The interior lining of the reservoir has 

 long and fine denticulations with silky horns. 



Thorax of Gryllus domesticus.|| — F. Voss continues and con- 

 cludes his investigations on the thorax of Gryllus domesticus and of 

 insects generally. Some of the more important conclusions arrived 

 at may be briefly stated. Homologies in the skeleton extend to the 

 wing and its joints ; muscles of meso- and meta-thorax are completely 

 homologous, those of the pro-thorax are so on a somewhat more general 

 basis. The " micro-thorax " is the epimeral section of the segment of 

 the second maxillas ; dorsal parts of the prothorax are included in the 

 occipital ring. Both pairs of wings are of equal morphological value ; 

 they are purely tergal outgrowths, and are not homologous with tracheal 



* Ztitsehr. wiss. Zool., lxxvii. (1904) pp. 529-45. 



t Proc. Linn. Soc, xxix. (1904) pp. 561-069 (2 pis.). 



\ Anat. Anzeig., xxvi. (1905) pp. 403-6 (3 figs.). 



§ Comptes Rendus, cxl. ( 1905) pp. 595-7. 



|| Zeitschr. wiss. Zool., lxxviii. (1905) pp. 620-759 (1 pi.). 



