108 Sowerby's Specimen Plate. 



first time I ever observed the occurrence noticed in VII. 531. 

 was several years ago, when sitting one day, about the mid- 

 dle of summer, with a dessert of fruit and cowslip wine. A 

 little of the wine, having been spilt upon a plate, was imme- 

 diately surrounded by many flies (Musca domestica), which 

 attacked it with great avidity. One in particular I noticed, 

 more thirsty than the rest, who, after distending his paunch 

 to nearly twice its original size, stood for some time wiping 

 his proboscis, brushing his wings, and rubbing his fore legs 

 together, with evident satisfaction; and then disgorged a por- 

 tion of the fluid, which appeared at the end of his proboscis, 

 exactly as described in VII. 531.; and, after a second or two, 

 disappeared, again appeared, and again disappeared, for many 

 times in succession : the abdomen diminishing and increasing 

 in size, according as the fluid was alternately expressed and 

 imbibed. My first impression was, that my uninvited, though 

 not unwelcome, guest was " not, as he should be — ipse, but, 

 as he should not be — tipsy ; " but the manner in which, 

 after a little more pluming, he flew away, discountenanced 

 this supposition. However this may be, I have observed this 

 process so frequently since that time, at all periods of the sum- 

 mer, and in almost all cases in individuals in perfect health, 

 that I cannot look upon it, as J. D. seems to do (VII. 531.) 9 

 as an evidence of incipient disease. These facts, together 

 with the pleasure the insect appears to experience in the act, 

 dispose me to consider it as a voluntary one, and have sug- 

 gested to me the idea of its being an analogous process to that 

 of rumination in the ox, &c. I am no entomologist, but 

 merely an occasional observer of the insect race. I there- 

 fore content myself with mentioning the fact, and throwing 

 out the foregoing suggestion for the consideration of those 

 better capacitated, in every respect, than I am for making 

 future observations and correct deductions. — J. Aaron, 

 M.R.C..S. Birmingham, Oct. 29. 1834. 



REVIEWS. 



Art. I. Notices of Works in Natural History. 



Sojverby, G. B., jun. : A Plate of Figures of Natural Objects, 

 as Specimens of the Author's Ability in Delineating and 

 Engraving Objects of the Kinds. The plate, 4to, with the 

 figures coloured, 2s. 6d. 



The subjects are E s mys concentrica, a dorsal and an ab- 

 dominal view of; the gold finny (Crenilabrus cornubicus), 



