1847-] Linnean Society. 319 



reared from the eggs, thus establishing the fact of the parasitic 

 attachment of Meloe to perfect Hymenoptera. The genera allied to 

 Meloe {Mylabris, Lytta, Telraonyx, Sitaris and Apalus), and those of 

 allied families, Horia, Cipiter, Rhipiphorus, Symbius and others, were 

 all shown to bear a more or less close relation to Meloe in the habits 

 or the structure of their larvee. Sita7-is was especially referred to, on 

 the observations of Audouin and Pecchioli, as affording close simi- 

 larity to Meloe both in structure and habit, this species having 

 already been found by the former naturalist in the nests of Antho- 

 phora. 



Mr. Newport then traced the history of the Slrepsiptera as now 

 ascertained by the labours of Siebold, most of whose observations he 

 has confirmed, and he showed some remarkable coincidences between 

 the structure and habits of the extremely minute larvae of these in- 

 sects and those of Meloe. The chief of these are their parasitism on 

 the Hymenoptera, and the atrophy of their limbs after they are located 

 in the nests of their victims. So extremely minute are the young 

 Stylops shortly after their birth, that on measuring several, while 

 living, on a micrometer plate, Mr. Newport found that each indivi- 

 dual does not exceed twenty-two thousandths of an inch in length : 

 yet internally this minute object is as fully organized as other in- 

 sects. He then showed that what had been regarded by Dr. Siebold 

 as a csecal termination to the alimentary canal is in fact a reduplica- 

 tion of part of that organ, which after folding twice on itself is con- 

 tinued to the anal segment as in other insects. He also described 

 the imago of this species of Stylops, which, as well as its larvae, had 

 been obtained from the bee, Andrena Trimmerana, and pointing out 

 in what it seems to differ from Stylops melittce, he proposed to de- 

 scribe it as Stylops aterrimus. 



Comparing the male Stylops with the female, Mr. Newport re- 

 marked especially on the peculiar organization of the former, as fitted 

 for special instincts, perfection of vision and celerity of flight, con- 

 jecturing that the object of this in Stylops may be the detection on 

 the wing of those Hymenoptera which carry about with them through 

 the air the apodal female that awaits impregnation ; and showed 

 that all we yet know of the habits of Stylojjs is conformable to this 

 view. 



Returning then to the consideration of Meloe, the author showed 

 that notwithstanding the structures with which it left the egg are fully 

 developed, they are so on an inferior type of organization, like Sty- 

 hps and like the Anoplura. The eye, although large and highly 

 sensitive to light, is still but a single ocellus, fitted only for near vi- 



