ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 153 



Palaearctic Myriopoda.* — Prof. Karl W. Verhoeff, in the course of 

 a further contribution to this subject, discusses the Diplopoda of the 

 Mediterranean area. 



Tracheae of Centipede. f — Mr. A. A. Merlin pointed out some years 

 ago tbat the chitinous fibre in the tracheae of Dytiscus larva consists 

 of a number of short and varying lengths, sometimes sufficing to form 

 a couple of loops, sometimes falling short of one coil. In Scolopendra 

 morsitans be now finds that the fibres occur in short lengths, often not 

 forming one complete turn ; tbat extremely short narrower tbreads 

 occasionally appear between the larger fibres ; that the fibres are not 

 uniform in breadth, and exhibit an uneven wavy aspect ; and that all the 

 fibres towards their extremities taper off into very finely pointed and 

 long undulating filaments. In one instance a fibre was seen split into 

 two terminal filaments. 



y. Protracheata. 



Peripatopsis blainvillei. $ — Prof. E. L. Bouvier finds that this 

 Chilian species has affinities with species from South Africa and with 

 others from Australia, but is much nearer the former than the latter. 

 The American continent seems to have been the headquarters of the 

 Onychopboron stock, and it is there that we may look for transitional 

 forms between the different types. This species of Peripatopsis is one 

 of these. 



5. Arachnida. 



Copulation of Ixodes reduvius.§— E. T. Lewis makes a contribution 

 to the life-history of this tick which is held responsible for conveying 

 the infection of Louping 111 to the sheep. His observations relate to 

 the copulation, and his results make it probable, though not certain, that 

 impregnation is effected, as Mr. E. G. Wheler suggested, by the rostrum 

 of the male being inserted in the female genital aperture. He shows in 

 figures the male and female in copula, and the dilatation of the " genital 

 process " of the male's hypostome (the lower part of the rostrum) at this 

 period. 



British Species of Arrenurus.|| — Chas. D. Soar notes that this large 

 genus is now known to be represented in Britain by 21 species, while 

 Piersig has reported 42 for Germany. A list of the British forms is 

 given. A. tricuspidator, A. maximus, A. cordatus, are added in this 

 communication, and George has recently reported another, A. integrator. 



Scottish Hydrachnida.l — Chas. D. Soar describes a collection of 

 fresh-water mites made near Oban, his list being the first published for 

 Scotland. Among the points of interest are, the absence of the very 

 common English form, Arrenurus globator Miiller, and the presence of 

 Acercus ligulifer, Oxus longisetus, and Torrenticolor anomala, three forms 

 not hitberto described within the British area. The collection contains 

 about forty species, belonging to some twenty genera. 



* Arch. Naturgesch., lxvii. (1901) pp. 79-102 (2 pis.), 

 t Journ. Quek. Micr. Club, 190U, pp. 405-6. 

 X Zool. Anzeig., xxiv. (1901) pp. 59-61. 

 § Journ. Quek. Micr. Club, 1900, pp. 381-6 (1 pi.). 

 || Illus. Annual Microsc. for 1900, pp. 22-4 (1 pi.). 

 1 Journ. Quek. Micr. Club, 1900, pp. 391-4. 



