QUARTERLY CHRONICLE. 97 



cavity, exhibiting here an axis-fibre of nerve-matter, \vhich 

 terminates in apposition with the knob-like base of the hair, 

 so that each liair is in direct connection with a nerve-fibre, 

 throngh the interposition of a ganglion-cell. Dr. Laudois 

 refers to certain structures seen by Leydig in Diptera and in 

 Water-beetles, which appear to be identical, and were con- 

 sidered by Leydig as organs of hearing. He then discusses 

 the probability of this being an auditory organ. It pre- 

 sents, he maintains, the same essential structure as that 

 demonstrated by Hensen in Crustacea — a depression (the 

 " pits ") provided with hairs in connection with nerve-fibres. 

 It has not at all the necessary structure of an organ of smell, 

 and that function must be put out of the question. Experi- 

 ment shows that there is some other means by which smell 

 acts. A stag-beetle, subjected to the action of sulphurous 

 acid, ammonia, or tobacco-smoke, struggles and moves its 

 antennae back from the irritating substance; but if the 

 terminal-joints be now cut off, which contain the organ in 

 question, the beetle still exhibits the same movements, which 

 shows that the antennse's movements must depend upon 

 some other source of uerve-irritation than is provided in the 

 terminal joint. It is very probable that the antennse serve 

 as organs of touch, for soft, small objects, when drawn across 

 them. Dr. Landois considers that it is the large hairs which 

 subserve this purpose, the smaller ones being protected from 

 contact by the superior size of the larger hairs. The small 

 hairs he considers as responding to the vibrations of sound. 

 The " pits " are arranged in such a way. Dr. Landois observes, 

 as to concentrate more or less the waves of sound, and the 

 presence of the trachean-vesicles is best explained if the 

 organ is considered as auditory, since they would act as 

 additional vibrating structures. The measurements of the 

 various parts are given in great detail, as also in a species of 

 Dorcus. A plate, with four large and very well executed 

 figures, accompanies the paper, from which we extract three. 



Bibliotheque Universelle et Revue Suisse.— In this excellent 

 journal are frequent notices of German, Italian, Kussian, 

 Swedish, and other memoirs, with critical notes from the 

 able hand of the distinguished naturalist, Professor Claparede. 

 Some of these we shall from time to time here translate. 



February. " Om Vestmdiens Pentacriner," by Dr. Liitken. 

 • — In a very interesting notice of recent researches on the 

 living crinoids by M. Claparede, in which he sketches the 

 observations of Carpenter and Wyville Thompson recently 

 published in the ' Philosophical Transactions ' (whither we 

 must refer the reader), a paper by the Scandinavian naturalist. 



