410 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



Anal Gills in larva of Glossoma boltoni and some Hydropsychidae.* 

 A. Thienemann describes in the larva of Glossoma boltoni small, white 

 finger-like prolongations, similar to the anal sac of certain Tipida larvse, 

 which contained tracheal branches, and which he regards as tracheal 

 gills. Similar appendages in the Hydropsychidse, he finds, are blood- 

 gills ; he thinks it probable that the anal sacs of the Rhyacophilidse are 

 tracheal gills also. 



Mealy- Winged Flies of California.f — Florence E. Bemis describes 

 the characters of the Aleyrodidaa — small or minnte insects infesting 

 plants, oviparous, with incomplete (?) metamorphosis, with immature 

 stages, quiescent, attached by sucking mouth-parts to the leaves, with 

 adults free and active, covered with granules of white wax. A table is 

 given of all the known American species of Aleyrodes, and the systematic 

 descriptive catalogue of the Californian forms includes no fewer than 

 sixty-six species. 



Oriental Aleurodidse.J — H. W. Peal makes contributions towards a 

 monograph of the Oriental Aleurodidas — a family of Homoptera, which 

 are allied to the scale-insects. He describes eight new species from 

 Calcutta and Behar, and discusses preventive measures. 



Egg-Cases and Early Stages of some Cassididse.§ — F. Muir and 

 D. Sharp describe these in certain South African species. The eggs are 

 placed in a case built of membranes formed of a peculiar substance. In 

 Cassida muriana and allied forms there is an extremely small and im- 

 perfect ootheca covered with excrement. The ootheca is of various 

 degrees of perfection, in accordance with the species that forms it ; and 

 in the ootheca of Aspidomorpha puncticosta the structure is so elaborate 

 and perfect that it surpasses even the combs of bees and wasps. The 

 paper records new observations on the extraordinary nature and habits 

 of Cassidid larvse. 



Life-History of Gongylus gongyloides.|| — C. E. Williams gives a 

 number of interesting notes on the structure and habits of this Mantis 

 of the tribe Empusides. It is a floral simulator, in which the ventral 

 aspect is modified in form and colour, chiefly with a view to the attrac- 

 tion of prey, while the dorsal surface and wings are free of conspicuous 

 colours and markings. As in Idolum, there is a peculiar purple pigment 

 for the production of petaloid colouring in various parts of the body. 

 This insect, which is found in many parts of India, Ceylon, etc., feeds on 

 various Lepidoptera. These frequent the creepers and flowering shrubs, 

 upon which it displays its whole body and limbs at the end of a twig or 

 spray, or on a spike of flowers, maintaining this inverted position exposed 

 to the' full sunlight without any serious risk from its enemies. 



Phagocytic Organs in Gryllidge.1T — C. Dawydoff describes as pha- 

 gocytic organs certain paired structures of triangular form which occur 



* Zool. Anzeig., xxvii. (1903) pp. 125-9. 

 t Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus., xxvii. (1904) pp. 471-537 (11 pis.). 

 X Joum. Asiatic. Soc. Bengal, ixxii. (1903) pp. 61-98 (5 pis.). 

 § Trans. Entom. Soc. London (1904) pp. 1-23 (5 pis.). 

 II Tom. cit., pp. 125-37. 

 If Zool. Anzeig., xxvii. (1904) pp. 589-93 (3 figs.). 



