INVERTEBKATA, CRYPTOGAMIA, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 621 



Development of Forficula.* — L. Camerano has found the eggs of 

 Forficula auricularia Linn, at the end of January ; a female was 

 found with them. This conflicts with Fischer's statement that the 

 eggs are laid in April, but the case was but a single one, and the pre- 

 ceding fine autumn may have advanced the time of oviposition. On 

 the eggs being scattered about, the female carried them in her 

 mandibles to one place so as to re-form the original heap ; her move- 

 ments were less active when under a good light than otherwise. The 

 egg is ellipsoidal, yellowish white, and somewhat opaque, about 1 mm. 

 in extreme diameter. In the ova gathered in January the embryos were 

 to be seen, with brownish eyes, mandibles, eight-jointed antennae, and 

 the posterior pincers, prothorax, and abdominal rings superficially 

 punctate; the antennee, palps, and legs were invested by a pellicle, 

 which appears not to be the future larval skin. At the end of six days 

 from the finding of the eggs the young began to come out (but perhaps 

 unduly early owing to the warmth of the rooms). At this stage they 

 are whitish in colour, have weak legs, but well-developed and motile 

 pincers ; after six or seven hours the body begins to assume its brown 

 colour, beginning with the pincers ; the legs and lower parts become 

 coloured later. Owing to absorption of air the body rapidly increases 

 in size, and at the end of ten hours from leaving the egg is 3 mm. 

 long, excluding the pincers. Three changes of skin take place ; 

 possibly a fourth, anterior to the first observed, may have escaped 

 notice, owing to the habit which the larva has of devouring the old 

 skin at once. The first of these changes occurs when the larva is 

 about 6 mm. long (excluding pincers), the second at 8 mm., the third 

 at 12 mm. 



In another instance eggs were laid on March 10th by a female 

 taken in the winter, and the larvsa from them made their first change 

 of skin between March 24th and the 30th ; the second change took 

 place on the 15th of April, the third at the beginning of May, and on 

 May 22nd the larva3 became perfect insects. It was noticed that some 

 males of this species appeared to prefer dead insects to fruit as food. 



Actora sestuum from the Shore at Heligoland.f — This insect, 

 described by Meigen, justifies its name by the locality, namely the 

 surf of the sea, or the seaweed floating near the shore, in which it is 

 found. Dr. Joseph observes tliat it is very timid, flying oft' to 

 another part of the wet sand at the slightest noise ; it may bo 

 covered by a wave but it shortly reappears on the surface, the drops 

 rolling from it as from a sea-bird. This fact is due to a somewhat 

 glistening waxy covering (which splits and falls away in the form of 

 minute scales from time to time) being then renewed ; most rapidly 

 so on the wings, halteres, and spiracles. It is produced as a primarily 

 oily substance by small glands scattered over the body, aided by 

 larger tubular ones, resembling the sweat-glands of some mammals, 

 and lying in the connective tissue between tlie wing-muscles ; their 

 ducts open beneath the commencements of the wings and halteres. 



* ' Rnll. S.)c. Entomr.l. Hal.,' xii. (1880) p. 46. 

 t ' Zool. Anzcig.,' iii. (1880) p. 250. 



