168 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



Study of Lomechusa and Atemeles.* — Karl Jordan has studied 

 these and some related myrmecophilous beetles. The secretions which 

 the ants lick come from numerous unicellular glands situated on the 

 sides of the abdomen and opening among the setae. Wasmann's so-called 

 exsudation tissue is simply fatty tissue. 



The beetles have numerous offensive glands and a large dorsal 

 reservoir which opens between the third and fourth abdominal segments. 

 These glands occur in all members of the sub-family Aleocharinaj. 

 They are used by the myrmecophilous beetles against strange ants, or 

 against their hosts when these go too far. The secretion has a stupefying 

 effect on ants. Its odour is like amyl-acetate or methyl-heptenon, which 

 have a similar effect on ants. 



The symphilous state depends on adaptations on the part of the 

 guests. The offensive glands give the beetles a standing, but they are 

 much older than the partnership. A new adaptation, however, is tht 

 acquisition of the myrmecophilous glands. The males of Lomechusa 

 are much excited at the breeding season ; the sexual act is several times 

 repeated : only a few eggs are laid in the recesses of the nest. 



7- Prototracheata. 



Integument of Peripatus.f — D. II. Webster, who has specialized on 

 the detection of chitin, finds secure evidence of its presence in Peripatus 

 as a thin covering of the skin. This shows, he says, that Peripatus is 

 nearer to Arthropods than to Annelids. In Aphrodite, Lepidonotus, 

 Lumbricus, Echiurus, Hirudo, etc., he found no trace of chitin. 



New Peripatus from India. :j: — Stanley Kemp gives a preliminary 

 account of Typhloperipatus williamsoni g. et sp. n. from the Abor country. 

 No external trace of eyes could be seen ; the ocular lobe is well developed, 

 but has a rudimentary nerve. A non- cellular structure in the lobe may 

 be remains of the rods and cones. The male has nineteen legs, the 

 female twenty. The legs have four spinous pads and two distal papillae ; 

 in the fourth and fifth legs the nephridial openings are on the third 

 pad. A description is given of the teeth on the jaws and of the gonads. 

 The ova are large, heavily charged with yolk. The uterine embryos are 

 of all ages and do not possess a trophic vesicle. The spermatophore is 

 very long and has a horny cap. Living specimens are pale ventrally, 

 deep raw umber brown above, with the ends of the antennas and the 

 tips of some of the primary tubercles pale buff. They were found on 

 the banks of the Dihang River, under stones at altitudes varying from 

 1200-2500 ft. 



8. Arachnida. 



Dimorphic Males. § — Theophilus S. Painter discusses the dimorphism 

 which occurs in the males of Msevia vittata, a North American Jumping 



* Zeitschr. wiss. Zool., cvii. (1913) pp. 346-86 (20 figs.). 



t Zool. Jahrb., xxxv. (1913) pp. 640-1. 



t Records Indian Museum, ix. (1913) pp. 241-2. 



§ Zool. Jahrb., xxxv. (1913) pp. 624-6 (1 fig.). 



