164 SUMMARY OF CUKRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



Life-history of Australian Dragon-fly.* — E. J. Tillyard has 

 studied the hfe-histoiy of Lestes leda Selys, a small blue Agrionid, the 

 commonest dragou-fly of the Sydney district. The eggs are laid in 

 water, and the process of oviposition is specially interesting, in that 

 the male assists. He clasps the female round the neck by means of 

 his anterior appendages, which are forcipate. He then seizes a small 

 reed or leaf just standing out of the water, and, holding on tightly, 

 arches his abdomen, dragging the female up behind him. The female 

 then reaches out with her abdomen, feeling for the surface of the 

 water. If they are not low enough down, they creep gradually until 

 just within reach, when the ova are laid. A remarkable fact is that 

 other dragon-flies, e.g. Hemicordulia tau, on discovering them, hover 

 around, and try to knock themi into the water. Even males of their 

 own species will interfere, and endeavour themselves to get possession of 

 the female. There are two broods in the year. All the stages are 

 described. 



7. Myriopoda. 



Phagocytosis in Diplopoda.f — L. Bruntz has made experiments on 

 three Milhpt'des — Glomeris maryinata, Julas mbitJosifs, and Folf/desmus 

 complanatus — in reference to phagocytosis. He finds that the phago- 

 cytic function is effected by the blood-corpuscles and by phagocytic 

 organs. There is no corpuscle-forming organ in ]\Iil]ipedes, and it is 

 therefore probable that the blood-corpuscles in adults are formed afresh 

 by the indirect division of those in circulation. Those still developing 

 have a phagocytic function ; those fully formed are both glandular and 

 phagocytic. The phagocytic organs are masses of fixed phagocytic cells, 

 in relation with the perineural sinus in Glomeris and Julus, beside the 

 latero-dorsal adipose masses and between adjacent rings in Folydesnms. 



5. Arachnida. 



Chernes cyrneus in Nottinghamshire.^ — H. Wallis Kew calls 

 attention to this recent addition to the list of British False-scorpions. 

 It is one of the largest of the European species of the genus. It lives, 

 perhaps exclusively, under the bark of old partly dead or dead standing 

 trees, and appears to be a member of the old forest fauna of Europe and 

 Northern Africa. The author found twelve individuals at Edwinstone. 

 A full description is given. 



Indian False-scorpions. § — C. J. With gives a notable account of 

 the Indian Chelonethi, especially of those collected by the Danish 

 * Galathea ' and Siam Exj^edition. After discussing the geographical 

 distribution of the order, he gives a careful anatomical description of 

 the " antennae," maxillae, palps, legs, the coxal sac, etc. He then passes 

 to the classification and the systematic part of the memoir. In the genus 

 Chelifer alone he deals with thirty-five species. 



* Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S. Wales, xxxi. (1906) pp. 409-23 (2 pis.), 

 t Arch. Zool. Exp6r., v. (1906) pp. 491-504 (1 pL). 



X Ann. Rep. Nottingham Naturalists' Society, liv. (1907) pp. 41-6 (1 pi.). 

 § Mem. Acad. R. Danemark, Tme serie (Section des Sciences) iii. No. 1 (1906) 

 j)p. 1-214 (4 pis. and map.). 



