236 



HALF-AN-HOUR 



link — calcareous masses imbedded in " the carapace," forming a 

 rudimentary skeleton in fact, and so beautifully disposed also, to 

 form a chaste decoration as well ! W. W. Spicer, in " Science 

 Gossip," September, 1874, gives a good abstract of the literature 

 of Argas (p. 209). 



Ovipositor of Sirex gigas is a slide of the right sort. The 

 insect much resembles a very large wasp with a long tail, and its 

 sudden appearance at times in large numbers has caused much 

 alarm in the minds of the ignorant. Its larva bores into the sound 

 timber of Pines. " By the importation of deals containing it from 

 Sweden and Norway, the insect has now become naturalised in 

 this country on the Scotch fir, and is not uncommon in some parts 

 where, as in this neighbourhood (Fareham), extensive pine-woods 

 exist." West wood's careful description of the borer in Urocerics 

 (" Sirex'^ olim) has made me much wish to examine it when time 

 and opportunity allowed, and now the splendid tool 

 lies before me ! What a blessing is our society to busy 

 men ! The form in section is represented thus — ■ 

 (PI. 16, Fig. 72, p. 115, Vol. 2, Westvvood's Mod- 

 ern Classification of Insects). This borer has been 

 Hkened to a corkscrew, and on superficial examin- 

 ation there is a general resemblance, but it goes 

 no further, and the comparison is calculated greatly 

 to mislead. See Westwood's description, pp. 116, 

 117. 



Eggs of Anthomyia. — These have a very close resemblance to 

 the eggs of the Common House-Fly ; if truly from an Anthomyia 

 it would be satisfactory to know from what species. This, with 

 other circumstances lately noted, tends to confirm my belief that 

 the types of insects' eggs are comparatively few in number, and 

 that it will often be very, very difficult to distinguish the species 

 which may have yielded particular specimens of eggs. 



I have found it a good plan to put gravid flies into two- 

 ounce phials, with a little of some substance likely to tempt 

 them to oviposit ; the parent insect can then be secured, correctly 

 named, the knowledge of the egg obtained, and, if time allow, 

 the whole of its changes observed and preserved. There is an 

 Anthomyia very destructive to onions in my garden, and another 

 (in some seasons especially) to plants of the cabbage tribe, and 

 last year I found some eggs, I think, identical with these on a 

 decaying cabbage-stump. 



Fish-Scales. — It is preferable to take them from one particular 

 part — the lateral line, about one inch or so below the gill-opening, 

 on the left-hand side, with one or two from next above, and an 



