130 Psyche [August 



Calliphora erythrocephaJa occasionally multiplies in an unusual 

 way, and that this way is not polyembryony but pedogenesis. 

 At the appropriate season it is planned to conduct an in- 

 vestigation of the maggots of Calliphora to ascertain whether 

 they contain parthenogenetic eggs or young. If they do, the 

 blow-fly will constitute another instance among insects of 

 pedogenesis. The original and best known case of this kind is 

 that of the fh^ Miastor and its allies discov^ered by Wagner (1862, 

 1865) and studied by Kahle (1908) and by Felt (1911). Less clear 

 is the case of Chironomus reported by Grimm (1870) and of its 

 near ally Tanytarsus observed by Johannsen (1910). All these 

 are Dipterans but within a few years Barber (1913a, 1913b) has 

 claimed an instance, Micromalthus, among the beetles. The 

 wingless female aphids must also be regarded as pedogenctic. 

 Possibly this form of reproduction is more generally spread 

 among insects than was originally supposed. 



References. 



Barber, H. S. 



1913a. Observations on the Life History of Micromal- 

 thus debilis Lee. Proc. Entom. Soc, Washington, vol. 

 15, pp. 31-38. 



Barber, H. S. 



1913b. The Remarkable Life-History of a New Family 

 (Micromalthidse) of Beetles. Proc. Biol. Soc, Wash- 

 ington, vol. 26, pp. 185-190. 



Felt, E. P. 



1911. Miastor and Embryology. Science, vol. 33, 

 pp. 302-303. 



Grimm, 0. 



1870. Die ungeschlechtHche Fortpflanzung einer Chi- 

 ronomus- Art und deren Entwicklung aus dem unbe- 

 fruchteten Ei. Mem. Acad. Imp. Sci., St. Petersbourg, 

 ser. 7, tome 15, no. 8. 



