H73.] 219 



the flower-pot must have given rise, or whetlier it was an action to which the 

 creature resorted in order to overcome the resistance offered by its living burden, 

 and as affording the easiest mode of conveyance, I kept a close watch over the 

 creature while it continued its reverse march over the rim of the saucer, down on 

 : the opposite side, across a broad path, and up the rough wall of a cottage. For 

 all this distance, the caudal segment was leading and kept slightly raised, the pair 

 of elongated feet attached to it acting as antennae, while all tlie other pairs performed 

 their reversed motion in rythmical succession. 



Except in so far as the holding tight of the load was concerned, the head had, 

 so to speak, abdicated its functions for the time, and was simply carried along like 

 any ordinary segment, no external guiding movement of any kind being perceptible 

 to me. When the convoy had gone as far up as I could conveniently reach, I was 

 obliged to secure the Myriapod, but even while I held it between my fingers, it 

 would not part with its prey. On being transferred to a box with a glass cover, it 

 speedily coiled itself up round the Podwa, and remained in this position, giving 

 me time to ascertain its name. 



No interference of mine could afterwards induce the creature to resume its 

 peculiar march : the more I tried to make it shift its position, the closer it drew its 

 coUs around its victim. 



The preceding observation clearly shows that this Myriapod has the option of 

 reversing the normally progressive action of its limbs into an equally effective, and 

 just as regular, prolonged, retrograde movement, accompanied by the temporary 

 transfer of some of the guiding functions of the anterior parts of the head to the 

 caudal segment. 



The bearing of these facts on Mr. Herbert Spencer's theory of compound indi- 

 viduals is self-evident. Mr. Alfred E. Wallace, in his last Presidential Address to 

 the Entomological Society of London, has given a plain summary of this theory, and 

 I cannot do better than repeat this gentleman's remarks that " if the facts and argu- 

 " ments adduced by its learned and philosophical author do make out even a prima 

 "facie case in its favour, it must deserve the careful and unbiassed consideration of 

 " all who endeavour to solve the problem of the origin of insects." — Albert Mulleb, 

 South Norwood, S.E. : November llth, 1872. 



Note on the " carding" and pinning of insects. — As an old collector, I may bo 

 allowed to say a few words on this subject. When I first took up my net — now 

 fully thirty years ago, a friend and I sought advice of the late Mr. J. F. Stephens, 

 and we were by him recommended to ^nn everything. This advice we literally fol- 

 lowed, spoiling hundreds of rare things, and entailing upon ourselves the enormous 

 labour of replacing thousands of commoners. Fidly thinking that "carding " is by 

 far the best process for our Coleoptera, in which nearlyall the species maybe determined 

 by the upper surface alone, I also think it perfectly indispensable for Semiptera and 

 Eomoptera, and that it might even be extended to other orders with advantage. 

 Nor do I see that size need be any drawback, in so far as native insects are concerned : 

 even a Carabus, vjhen properly mounted on card, is, in my opinion, quite as neat as, 

 and certainly much safer than, when pinned. I find also a gi'eat advantage in the 

 " carding " system, in the greater ease with which moiddy or greasy specimens may 

 be cleaned, and, if necessary, remounted ; operations nearly impossible to perform 

 on pinned examples without serious damage. 



