HANSEN, H, J.: HEMFMKRIJS TALPOIDES WLK. 79 



of my understanding this organ must be in connection with tlie 

 interior wall of female genital organs and thus serve the nutrition 

 of the young ones, which are growing to the astonishing size within 

 the mother. By the taking out of the, two smallest young the 

 head was broken off, which seems to me to indicate that also 

 these specimens had been fixed by an organ from the neck. 



From this description it is evident that Hemùnerus only 

 gives birth to one young at a time and probably several days 

 will pass away before the next young is developed to such a' 

 degree that it is ready to become born. Unfortunately I am not 

 able to add anything more about this very interesting develop- 

 ment. 



This curious propagation places the Hi'uiimenis totally iso- 

 lated from all known Insects, as far as I know , for the propaga- 

 tion of the Piipiparous Diptera differs very much from this, and 

 the other viviparous Insects always bear several or many young 

 at a time, whereas Heminierns simultaneously gives birth only 

 to one young, dift'ering from the adult s])ecimens almost only in 

 the number of joints of the antenna and in the wanting sexual 

 development of the last abdominal segments. 



As mentioned above Mr. Sjöstedt has also captured one 

 young; this is white, the total length (the cerci excepted) is 

 4,5 """, the abdomen is comparatively somewhat shorter than in 

 the adults (the segments being — ■ from influence of the spirit ? 

 — more contracted into each other), but besides it differs only 

 in the structure of the antenna; and of the last abdominal seg- 

 ments. The antennoe are composed of 8 joints, the 3rd being 

 considerably longer than the following ones, and evidently tliis 

 later on becomes divided into 4 joints, the 3 first of which are 

 sliort (PI. 3, fig. j), the 4th about as long as the following. The 

 abdominal tergites as in the male and 8 well developed sternites, 

 but the 8th sternite is considerably lesser produced backwards than 

 in the adults of both sexes, and the posterior margin is eiiually 

 arched. 1 believe that this young is turning to be a male, not 

 thinking it possible that the 8th and 9th segment later on should be 

 reduced as in the adult female, but I dare not deny the possibility. 



When verbally giving Inspector Dr. F. Meinerï a commu- 

 nication about this propagation, he called my attention to state- 



15 



