ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 619 



Occurrence of Ox-warbles.* — X. Lehmann and 0. Vaney report on 

 the percentage of hides with warbles, observed at Lyons throughout three 

 successive years. They occurred in the bides in every month, but from 

 September to March inclusive the warbles were either retarded larvae 

 beginning to degenerate or only larval remains. From March to June, 

 when there are no living adults, there is a growing percentage of larva? 

 in the skin. This points to a migration from the viscera. 



The penetration of the larvae from the alimentary tract is supported 

 by the following facts : (1) the winter restriction of the very young 

 larvae to the sub-mucosa of the anterior portion of the alimentary canal ; 

 (2) the growth of the larvae in the oesophageal region ; (3) the occurrence 

 in February and March of more developed larva? in the membranes of 

 the spinal cord and in the sub-cutaneous tissue of imperforated skin ; 

 (4) the increasing abundance of sedentary larva? in the skin from May 

 to July. It may be noted that while bullocks with thin skins show a 

 greater percentage-occurrence of warbles, it is the opposite with cows ; 

 which shows the skin-thickness is of no importance. 



Classification of Culicidae.t — A. Alcock maintains the propriety of 

 the old group of the family Culicida? into two sub-families, Corethrina? 

 (with short and soft proboscis and with hairs on the veins of the wings) 

 and Culicina? (with long and stiff proboscis and the mouth-parts of the 

 females specialized for piercing) and with scales on the veins of the 

 wings. He proposes to divide the Culicina? into four sections, which 

 are defined : Megalorhini, Epialurgi, Culicales, and Metanototricha. The 

 Epialurgi or "Ague-producers" include the single genus Anopheles, with 

 about 100 species, distributed in all the great zoogeographical regions. 

 The constitution of the genus is discussed. 



Parasites of Olive-fly. J — Paul Marchal discusses the importance of 

 Dacus olese, which works such havoc among the olives. Fortunately it 

 is often parasitized, e.g. by two Chalcidid Hymenoptera, Eidophus pectin i- 

 cornis L. and Eupelmus urazonus Dalm. Marchal has found a new 

 parasite, a Braconid Opius concolor, at home in North Africa. It is an 

 internal parasite, as larva and pupa in the corresponding stages of the 

 olive-fly, and seems to be an effective check. Marchal recommends its 

 importation into Europe. 



Digestive Ferments of Beetles. — L. Bounoure has found in beetle 8 

 four ferments, a proteolytic diastase, a lipase, an amylase, and an invei" 

 tine. Comparing various types he shows that the nature of digestive 

 juice is adapted to the alimentary regime. Thus, as regards proteolytic 

 diastase, the carnivorous Dytiscus marginalis has much, while the vege- 

 tarian cockchafer has little. 



Buccal Parts of a Ceylonese Staphylinid.|| — E. Bugnion gives a 

 careful description and beautiful figures of the mouth-parts of Creophihis 



* Comptes Rendus, clii. (1911) pp. 1343-5. 



t Ann. Nat. Hist., viii. (1911) pp. 240-50. 



J Comptes Rendus, clii. (1911) pp. 215-18 (3 figs.). 



§ Comptes Rendus, clii. (1911) pp. 228-31. 



|j Rev. Suisse Zool., xix. (1911) No. 5, pp. 135-52 (2 pis.). 



