Insecta. 85 



Daß vom Enddarm Eisen absorbiert wird, scheint Ref. nicht ganz zwingend er- 

 wiesen, -wenn auch sehr wahrscheinlich gemacht. R. Dem oll (Gießen). 



194) Hudson, 0. V., Melanism and wet climates. In: Ent. Mo. Mag., 

 Bd. XXIV, Heft 8, S. 185—186, 1913. 



It was pointed out in 1885 that the dark coloration of certain Alpine and 

 Arctic Lepidoptera might be highly advantageous to the species possessing it, 

 by enabling theni to absorb heat more rapidly on emergence from the pupa, and 

 so to be more quickly ready for pairing, ovipositing etc.: thus raaking the most 

 of the infrequent sunshine of such climates. Melanism is specially well exempli- 

 fied in New Zealand by practically all the species of Errbia, Orocramhus. and 

 Tauroficopa, most of which are found at 4000 to 6000 feet above sea-level. 

 A less pronounced form of melanism is found in certain forms from the extreme 

 South and from the West Coast of the South Island, where the rainfall is very 

 heavy. H. Scott (Cambridge). 



105) Hudson Beare, T., The Entomology of an Opossum' b nest. In: Ent. Mo. 

 Ma}?., Bd. XXIV, Heft 5, S. 111, 1913. 



An Australian newspaper is quoted as describing the swarms of insect-life found 

 in the nest of a PLialan;:er {Trichosurus vulptcula L.) in a hollow branch. The nest 

 contained thousands of larvae of a small moth. thousauds of Psocidae, hundreds of a 

 Hemipteron, and several species of Coleoptera: also Acarines and Ticks. 



H. Scott (Cambridge). 



196) Williams, C. B., A summary of the present knowledge of the 

 Protura. In: Entomologist, Bd. 46, Heft 8, S. 225—232, 1913. 



This paper summarises briefly the knowledge of this group of creatures, 

 and the views put forward as to their systematic position. Referring to their 

 habitat, the writer states that they have been found under stones, under bark, 

 and in peat, turf, and moss. Though usually found only 1 or 2 at a time, he 

 has on one occasion found 50 specimens in one small block of peat. Reference 

 is made to their habit of Walking on the two posterior pairs of legs and holding 

 the front pair forward after the fashion of antennae: the front tarsi also have 

 well-developed sensory hairs, which still further enable them to fulfil the func- 

 tion of antennae. The principal structural features are then summarised, namely, 

 the complete absence of antennae; the form of the entotrophic mouth-parts; the 

 presence of 12 abdominal segments in the adult, and the interpolation of 3 of 

 these before the terminal segment during larval life (anamorphosis); the presence 

 of a pair of abdominal appendages on each of the first 3 segments, and the dif- 

 ferent forms these appendages assume in the two families of the group; the 

 complete absence of anal cerci and the telson-like form of the terminal segment. 

 The genital organs consist of two long unbranched tubes in the 5 ^.nd have an 

 annular form in the c?, and in both sexes the external opening is between the 

 11*^ and 12''^ segments. The tracheal system is entirely absent in one of the 

 two families (Acerentomidae), but in the Eosentomidae it is present, with two 

 pairs of spiracles, on the meso- and metathorax. The nervous system is briefly 

 described, also the "concretions" in head and prothorax, the absence of eyes but 

 presence of a pair of "pseudocelli" rather near the front end of the pointed head, 

 and the simple tubulär form of the alimentary canal. 



These creatures were first described by Silvestri as an order of the sub- 

 class Apterygota of Insecta. B erlese treated them as an order of Myriapoda, 

 considering the absence of antennae, large number of segments, and anamor- 

 phosis as Ol the first importance. Schepotieff united them with Campodea as 



