CUCULLAXUS. 



[ 220 ] 



CULICID.E. 



Arachniidce. Cells more or less distant, 

 membranous. 



JBi(skud(s. Cells contracted below, not 

 continuous witli the creeping stolon ; with 

 a ventral apertiu'e. 



CyUndracidfe. Cells not contracted below, 

 closely united to the stem ; no membranous 

 area. 



TritkellidcB. Cells horny, with an aper- 

 ture, and a ventral membranous area ; 

 attached to a rigid peduncle by a moveable 

 joint, deciduous. 



VictoreUidce. Cells originating in an en- 

 largement of the creeping tubular stem, 

 with which they are continuous at the base ; 

 free and cylindrical above, not deciduous. 



BiBL. Johnston, Br, Zooph. ; Gosse, 

 Mar. Zool. ii. ; Hincks, Polyz. 489. 



CUCULLA'NUS,MU11.— Agenus of Eu- 

 tozoa, belonging to the order Coelelmintha, 

 and family Nematoidea. 



Char. Body elongate, posteriorly attenu- 

 ate ; head broad, with a bivalve manduca- 

 tory apparatus ; mouth anterior, terminal, 

 forming a long vertical fissure. 



C. eleijans. In the intestine, stomach, 

 and pyloric appendages of the perch and 

 other 'freshwater fishes. Almost all the 

 other species of this genus live in the in- 

 testines of fishes. Length 1-6 to l-o". 

 Colour, reddish yellow. 



C. foveolatm, in the plaice. 



BiBL. Dujardin, Helminthes, 245 ; Cob- 

 bold, Paras. 474. 



CUCURBITA'RIA, Grev. See Sph^- 



KIA. 



CU'LEX, Linn. — A genus of Dipterous 

 Insects, of the family Culicidje. 



CJuir. Palpi longer than the proboscis in 

 the male, very short in the female 



Manv species. C. ^npiens, the common 

 gnat. "^See CvLiciJi^ 



CULTC'ID^.— A family of Dipterous 

 Insects, as the type of which the common 

 gnat ( Cule.v pipiens) may be examined. _ 



The parts of the mouth are produced into 

 a slender elongated rostrum or proboscis, 

 which is nearly half the entire length of the 

 insect, and slightly thickened at the tip. 

 This proboscis,"sim"ple as it appears, in re- 

 ality consists of seven pieces in the females, 

 besides a pair of many-jointed palpi, which 

 are as long as, or even longer than, tlie 

 rostrum in some of the males, and very 

 hairy at the extremity; in the females, how- 

 ever, they are generally very short. Head 

 email. Anteuna3 slender and filiform, as 

 long as, or longer than the thorax, and 14- 



jointed in both sexes, but plumose in the 

 male (PI. .33. fig. 21) and pilose in the 

 females (PI. .3.3. tig. 30 «) ; the basal joint 

 is subglobose and tubercular in form. Eyes 

 lunate ; ocelli obsolete. Thorax oblong- 

 oval. Abdomen long and slender, upon 

 which the wings are incumbent when at 

 rest ; the latter have the veins fiu-nished 

 with scales (PI. 34. fig. 22). Legs very 

 long and slender. 



The proboscis of the female is composed 

 of the following parts : — 1. An outer tubular 

 canal (PI. 33. figs. .30 & 31 e), representing 

 the labrum, forming the most robust part of 

 the mouth, except the labium. 2. A pan- of 

 slender, needle-like pieces, the mandibles, 

 serrated on the inside near the tip (PI. 33. 

 figs. 30 & 31 /), thickened at the back, like 

 a scythe, and transversely striated. 3. A 

 second pair of very delicate and slender 

 organs (PI. 33. figs! 30 & 31 r/), dilated at 

 the base, to which the palpi are attached, 

 representing the maxillae. 4. A slender, 

 needle-like instrument, lanceolate at the 

 end, traversed by a narrow canal (PI. 33. 

 figs. -30 & 31 d), the analogue of the tongue. 

 5. The outer tubular canal ( PI. 33. fig. .30 /), 

 in which the others are lodged when at 

 rest, and representing the labium. The 

 labrum and labium are each traversed bv a 

 longitudinal slit throughout their length". 



It appears that in the males the labrum 

 and tongue are absent. It has been sup- 

 posed that, when the lancets of the female 

 gnat are introduced into the skin, a veno- 

 mous liquid is simultaneously instilled into 

 the woimd, and that the great irritation 

 produced may thus be accounted for. It is 

 more probable, however, that this arises 

 from the deeper penetration of the lancets 

 into the skin ; for they are of great compa- 

 rative length — about four times that of the 

 lancets of the flea. 



The eggs are deposited in a small boat- 

 shaped mass which floats upon the surface 

 of the water. They are oval, with a small 

 narrow knot at the top, and are arranged 

 side by side, and closely packed. 



The lar^ fe inhabit standing waters, and 

 may be observed frequently, during the 

 spring and summer, jerking themselves 

 about with great agility, or suspending 

 themselves, for the purpose of respiration, 

 immediately below the surface of the water, 

 with the head downwards; Tiie head (PI. 

 35. fig. 1) is distinct, large, rounded, and 

 furnished with two unjointed antenna, and 

 several ciliated appendages, which serve for 



