PRECOCIOUS DEVELOPMENT OF THE CATERPILLAR. a | 
moult to a high temperature. It will be of interest to know if the 
moths possessed well-developed genital parts, fitted for copulation and 
for the deposition of fertile eggs. 
I have given purposely, in full, the original, as the two records ex- 
isting disagree on some important facts. Lacordaire seems to have 
seen the original, as his record contains some statements not given by 
Meckel. Nevertheless, he has surely seen, and partly translated, 
Meckel’s record, as is proved by the words: “les deux yeux noirs 
rapprochés,” a verbal translation of the “ Zusammengesetzten Augen,” 
by Meckel. The presence of fore-wings only is recorded by Meckel, of 
hind-wings only by Lacordaire. 
The statements given by Majoli are probable, except that the thorax, 
which is said to be similar to the third segment of the caterpillar, has 
four wings. The identity of the abdomen with the abdomen of the 
caterpillar consists perhaps only in elongation, as the presence of other 
parts is not mentioned. 
Lacordaire considers the fact as proving the development of certain 
parts of an insect by precocity, though the other parts follow the com- 
mon rule of development. 
The fact would be a rather interesting one if it was beyond doubt. 
As silk-worms are raised every year by millions, I should have sup- 
posed that the observation would have been oftener made and pub- 
lished. Nevertheless, it is astonishing that such a fact, filling m some 
way the gap between insects with an incomplete metamorphosis, and 
those with a complete one, is not used by evolutionists. 
A paper by the well- lever Lepidopterologist, Mr. E. J. C. Esper, in 
Hoppe. Entom. Taschenbuch (for 1796), pp. 183 — 188, which I have not 
_at hand, may possibly treat the question of a precocious development. 
Majoli’s observation is briefly reproduced (after Meckel) by Professor 
Van der Hoeven, in his quoted paper, p. 272. He remarks that no re- 
lated observations are known, and that his observation rests only upon 
its own merits. 
DEFORMITY OF THE ELYTRA. 
Strategus (Geotrupes) Julianus. 
The late Professor J. Wyman observed a specimen of this large 
beetle flying around in Florida in 1874. The movements were in some 
way strange and unusual, and induced Professor J. Wyman to catch 
the beetle. To his astonishment he found it perfectly developed, but 
the elytra wanting. The specimen, preserved in alcohol, he presented 
shortly before his death to the collection. 
