260 rrtocEEDisGs of socikties. 



like themselves. At the end of the season, however, perfect winged males and females are 

 developed, niid those concur to produce ova, wliicli retain their vitalit}' through the winter, and 

 give birth to a now generation in the spring, long after the parents have perished. Each 

 viviparous Aphis is capable of producing a hundred repetitions of itself, and as the process may 

 be repeated ten times in the season, it has been calculated, that, if no destructive agencies were 

 at work, the last brood would number 1,000,000,000,000,000,000, (say one trillion,) individuals." 

 And again, in his chapter on the "Reproduction in Animals," he saj's, "It is very remarkable 

 that in animals so highly organised as Insects, we should find a very marked example of 

 gommiparous multiplication, occurring as part of the regular history of the race. Such, 

 however, is only the case in the genus Aphis, the curious history of whose double method of 

 reproduction, has been already detailed. Now, when we compare this series of phenomena with 

 those of a similar kind which have already occupied our attention, it becomes obvious that 

 this is a case of larval gemmation, and that, notwithstanding the long succession of broods 

 of 'zooids' which may be thus produced, the generation cannot be said to be completed, until 

 a perfect pair of male and female Aphides shall have been evolved, capable of continuing their 

 race by the process of true sexual generation. This evolution may be postponed for a much 

 longer period than usual, by preventing the animals from being subjected to that depression 

 of temperature, which at the end of the warm season, ordinarily seems to check the gemmipa- 

 rous multiplication, and to call into exercise the true sexual operation. (See "Burmeister's 

 Entomology," translated by Shuckard, page 310.) Thus 'notwithstanding the great increase in 

 the number of independent beings, not one of the viviparous larvae becomes a complete 

 organism; for so long as this method of multiplication is continuing, the type of the perfect 

 insect is never evolved, and no true sexual characters make their appearance. (Note.— The 

 viviparous larvte are usually spoken of as 'females,' but they have no more real title to this 

 designation, than is possessed by a Hydra which is budding off new Polypes from its body.") 

 I trust that tliese extracts will not infringe too much on your space in "The Naturalist." — 

 JoHX L. Wight, 1, Percy Place, Clapham Koad, London, September 20th., 1854, 



l^rnmMngs nf Inrirtips. 



Scarborough Philosophical and Arehceological Society, June, 1854. — The following paper was 

 read by 11. B. Cooke, Esq., (Honorary Secretary) :~ 



Observations on the Temperature of the Sea, and its Jtelation to the Climate of Scarborough. 

 --The importance of ascertaining the temperature of the sea at different periods and under 

 different conditions has been recognised by Humboldt, Sabine, Fitzroy, and others. Observations 

 with this object have been made by members of Government survej's and other scientific 

 bodies, and also with the intention of determining the existence and direction of oceanic 

 currents, and their influence in producing or modifying climatal peculiarities. Mr. Whitley, 

 of Truro, has paid great attention to this subject, and his observations are embodied in a very 

 able prize essay, published in the Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society of England, vol. 

 xi. I may also allude to the remarks of Professor Dove in his paper on the Distribution of 

 Heat, read at the last meeting of the British Association. 



With reference, however, more particularly to our own county, which has a coast line of 

 upwards of eighty miles in length, washed by the German Ocean, Professor Phillips, in his 

 recently-published work on "The Rivers, Mountains, and Sea Coast of Yorkshire," observes 

 that "the temperature of the sea is another of the desiderata in treating of the climate of 

 Yorkshire, on which scarcely any data exist." With a view of supplying the desideratum 

 here mentioned, a series of observations were made during the year 1853, the results of which 

 were tabulated for convenient reference, and published in the Annual Report of the Scarborough 

 Philosophical and Archoeological Society, (p. p. 17, 18.) These observations, continued up to 

 the present time, were made with great accuracy by Mr. Roberts, the Curator of the Scarbo- 

 rough Museum, and the locality selected for making them was at the extremity of the outer pier 

 of the harbour. It may here be remarked that the sea at Scarborough is well adapted for 

 such observations, inasmuch as it is wholly uninfluenced by the ingress of water from inland 

 sources. 



