' ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 151 



Kycteribiidse.* — P. Speiser publishes a paper on this family of 

 pupiparous Diptera, the members of which are parasites of bats. He 

 gives a historical account of the family, an anatomical description based 

 chiefly on Nycteribia blasii, some account of development, and finally 

 descriptions and diagnoses of certain of the known species and of a 

 numher of new ones, with an account of the geographical distribution. 



Larva of Lonchoptera.f — Dr. J. C. H. de Meijere has made a study 

 of this dipterous larva, and shows that it is intermediate between 

 "Orthorrhapha" and " Cyclorrhapba," though nearer the latter. As 

 the frontal sac still opens on the surface of the head, and there is, 

 therefore, no head-atrium, the Lonchopteridae may be distinguished as 

 " Cyclorrhapba anatria " from the " Cyclorrhapba atriata." 



Male Genitalia of Microlepidopteia.J — H. Stitz sums up the results 

 of his observations on a series of species as follows. In the forms in- 

 vestigated the abdomen consists essentially of eight distinct segments, 

 of which the first is aborted ventrally, while the ninth, or genital seg- 

 ment, and the tenth have become greatly modified. In regard to this 

 tenth some doubt exists. It is the anal segment, and bears a ventral 

 sub-anal and a dorsal supra-anal plate, but the relation of these to the 

 sternite and tergite of the typical segment is obscure. The testis 

 usually lies in the fourth segment, and is typically unpaired, though 

 the presence of a septum shows that this condition is secondary. From 

 the single testis two vasa deferentia arise. These are short, and open 

 into canals known as the intercalary segments of the vasa, which again 

 open into the seminal vesicles. The seminal vesicles open into the 

 middle of the coiled tubular glands, which are paired. Each gland is 

 connected with an accessory gland, and the two open together into an 

 unpaired gland which can be divided histologically into three regions. 

 This opens into the ejaculatory duct, which passes into the penis, an 

 organ of complicated structure. It is possible that not only the penis 

 and ejaculatory duct, but also the whole glandular system, are of ecto- 

 dermal origin. 



Amitosis in Ovary of Hemiptera.§ — J. Gross confirms the facts 

 reported by De Bruyne, and the theory of amitosis advocated by 

 H. E. Ziegler and vom Eatb. In the ovary of Hemiptera (nine forms) 

 amitosis is restricted to the nutritive cells and the follicular epithelium. 

 It has no regenerative import. A nucleus which has once divided by 

 amitosis is no longer in a position to divide by karyokinesis. The 

 occurrence of amitosis implies a speedy or immediate cessation of all 

 nuclear division. As regards the nutritive cells, it may be regarded as 

 the outcome of the degeneration of tissue which has spent itself, whose 

 import is past ; as regards the follicular epithelium, it follows in con- 

 sequence of specialisation in unusually intense secretion. 



Parasites on Cockroaches' Eggs.|| — Dr. N. F. Surveyor notes the 

 occurrence of two species of Hymenoptera in the egg-cases of the 



* Arch. Naturgesch., lxvii. (1901) pp. 11-78 (1 pi. and 1 fig.). 



t Zool. Jahrb., xiv. (1900) pp. 87-132 (3 pis.). 



j Tom. cit., pp. 135-76 (5 pis.). 



§ Zeitschr- wiss. Zool., lxix. (1901) pp. 139-201 (3 pis. and 4 figs.). 



|| Journ. Bombay Med. Phys. Soc, iv. (1900) pp. 1-6 (2 pis.). 



