DUBLIN UNIVERSITY ZOOLOGICAL AND BOTANICAL ASSOCIATION. 193 



the complexity of the respiratory apparatus, superadding the series of 

 lateral spiracles to the curious fringed bell for air, which usually sur- 

 rounds the posterior opening, — all concur to give them this rank. The 

 larva of Stratiomys, both by its bulk and form, and the perfect develop- 

 ment of that respiratory star, has attracted the attention of many obser- 

 vers ; and has been repeatedly figured and described. Concerning the al- 

 lied genus Oxyceea, we had but some scanty indications, until lately that 

 Heeger has figured and described in much detail the larvae of two of the 

 species, 0. meigenii and 0. trilineata. In a larva of the same genus, which 

 I lately examined, I find several characters not noticed by him in either 

 of those ; and I am thence led to conclude that it may be progeny of a 

 third species, O.morrisii, which I have repeatedly taken on the river-bank 

 not far from the spot where the larva occurred among the Confervae and 

 Marchantia on the face of a dam serving for an outlet to the superfluous 

 water of a mill-race, and continually moistened by a shallow but rapid 

 fall of running water. This larva (Plate XL, Fig. 1) is four lines 

 long, of a dingy yellow, with light brownish marblings above, especially 

 a pair of jagged lines down the back, dividing it into three portions, the 

 lateral portion of each segment chiefly occupied by a rounded yellowish 

 patch truncated in front, and including an arched line of black dots ; 

 while the middle space of each segment presents a trapeziform pale patch, 

 broadest behind, and including various markings : the third segment and 

 the fifth have each a slender brown line bisecting them transversely, 

 these two being connected in the middle by a similar longitudinal line ; 

 the posterior portion of the fifth contains two dark dots ; the pale dorsal 

 patch in the following segments is more or less clouded in the middle 

 with brown, enclosing two pale dots, and before them two minute, de- 

 fined black ones ; the last segment has four longitudinal rows of black 

 dots. The pale ciliated hairs which fringe the posterior opening are as 

 long as the last segment. Besides the pale, curved, minutely pubescent 

 bristles, placed chiefly in a whorl on each segment, there are above seve- 

 ral clusters of shorter white cylindrical vesicles on each segment, except 

 the first and last, which are probably modifications of hairs, but with- 

 out any transition. The second segment has four dark dots in a square, 

 and some more outside these ; the dark internal termination of the spiracle 

 appears as a blackish spot towards the angles of the segment. The parts 

 of the mouth I have not examined, as Heeger has given figures of them 

 in detail, which have a close analogy to the forms observed in the larva 

 of Nemotelus. The general form of the larva agrees so well also with 

 his figures that I have omitted many other details as unnecessary. The 

 under side of the body is pale-yellow, and without markings, the whorl 

 of curved, pointed bristles completed below, preceded by a line of shorter 

 ones, seeming each to be enveloped in a membranous sheath. The pen- 

 ultimate segment is armed at the end with a pair of sharp, curved, 

 spine-like horns : the last segment has a deep furrow down the middle, 

 and one along each side. The head is darker-yellowish, with three deep- 

 brown bands down the front, and some dark markings round the mouth ; 

 the eyes crystalline ; the very minute antennae dusky. 



• vol. iv. 2 c 



