1914.] 121 



used sideways, in a manner not tiring to the eyebrow like the old watchmaker's 

 glass, nor requiring the same degree of bend in the neck when in use, and 

 capable of being used for either eye or swung out of the way as required. In 

 this manner ease and comfort are secured, while both hands are left free for the 

 use of the setting needles, and the insect can be viewed sideways and moved 

 about at will (a great advantage over the various forms of stand apparatus). 

 The structure, though sounding complicated in description, is in reality simpli- 

 city itself, and renders the setting of small insects much less of a strain than 

 heretofore. -F. Thompson, M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P., River Bank, Sunbury-on- 

 Thames : March 10th, 1914. 



Wet seasons and Acarid parasites on insects. — While collecting Diptera 

 among grass-roots, dead leaves, &c, last January, I found some Borboridee 

 infested with a reddish-coloured Acarid. In one case there were fotu* of these 

 parasites on the abdomen of Borborus nitidus in a space of hardly more than 

 one millimetre. At first sight I thought I had a red-bodied specimen. The 

 weather was frosty at the time. I have not noticed them on other Diptera. — 

 Herbert Burt, High Lane, Cheshire : April 4th, 1914. 



Evidence of memory and reasoning in a Pompilid. — This afternoon I observed 

 a Pompilid (Salius wakejieldi, or an allied species) running backwards along a 

 concrete path hauling a large spider which she had evidently stung. The path 

 had a border about three inches high covered with short confused grass stems. 

 Inside this was an area of recently disturbed earth, many of the clods being 

 half an inch in diameter, the whole thus forming very " rough country " from 

 the Pompilid's point of view. After dragging the spider about ten feet, the 

 Pompilid left it on the path, ascended the grass edge and explored the rough 

 earth for a space of four feet parallel to the path, her nest evidently being at 

 the foot of a post amongst some long grass beyond the rough earth. The 

 Pompilid returned after about one minute and made for the spider, which she 

 had some little difficulty in finding. It was clear that the disturbed state of 

 the ground perplexed the insect as she was evidently finding her way by looking 

 at surrounding objects, and many of these had been disturbed within half an 

 hour of the observation. When the Pompilid found the spider she pulled it 

 along the smooth path to the nearest point opposite her nest instead of along 

 the rough route she had just explored. She then again left the spider, this time 

 for fully three minutes, in order to discover the best route through the tangled 

 grass stems. The spider was finally hauled off the path into the long grass and 

 the insect's subsequent operations could not be followed. 



This observation seems worth recording as it proves the existence of memory, 

 a strong continuity of purpose, and an ability to first ascertain and subsequently 

 make use of the easiest path for hauling a heavy load.— G. V. Hudson, Hillview, 

 Karori, Wellington, New Zealand : March 8th, 1914. 



