VIII. 



Some Recent Researches on Insects and 

 Arachnids. 



''PHE greater part of entomological literature consists of descriptions 

 J- of new genera and species. To record the names of these would 

 be foreign to the purpose of this Review, which will not endeavour to 

 do the work of the "Zoological Record." " Species making " has 

 often been condemned by morphologists as an unprofitable pursuit ; 

 and no doubt the naturalist whose highest ambition is to describe as 

 many new forms as he possibly can, has fallen far short of the ideal 

 which the true student of animal life should set before him. Yet the 

 work of discriminating species is a necessary one ; and the generalisa- 

 tions of the philosophic naturalist must largely depend on the technical 

 labour of the systematist. 



Only nev/ly described forms which have an evident biological 

 interest will be referred to in this notice. Our object will be to 

 gather from the mass of current entomological literature those results 

 which throw light on the history of the various insect groups. The 

 latest discoveries in anatomy, development, habit, and adaptation to 

 environment will, as far as possible, be recorded. 



A contribution to Arachnid anatomy has lately been made by 

 Dr. P. Bertkau (" Zool. Anzeiger," vol. xv., p. lo), who describes sense 

 organs found on the upper side of the last joint of the palps and first 

 pair of legs of two species of Solpugidea {Solpuga flavescens, C. L. 

 Koch, and Galeodes baybayiis, Luc). These organs are of two kinds, 

 and resemble those already described as found on the antennae of ants 

 and other insects. On account of their shape, they have been styled 

 "champagne-cork" and "flask-shaped" organs. They are in com- 

 munication outwardly with small openings in the chitinous body-wall, 

 and inwardly with ganglion cells and nerve-cords. Dr. Bertkau thinks 

 it probable that their function is that of smell. 



Some notes of interest have appeared in the English entomo- 

 logical journals on the effect of environment on the development of 

 Lepidoptera. Mr. R. Adkin (" Entomologist," vol. xxv., p. 25) 

 states that the wet and cold summer of last year caused a prolongation 

 of the larval and pupal stages in several species over the normal 

 periods. Mr. F. Merrifield (" Entom. Monthly Mag." [2], vol. iii., 

 p. 20) gives the results of four years' experiments in rearing spring- 



