397 
Mr Clegram gave me, in reply to questions I sent him, 
much careful and detailed information as to the “ wind and 
weather” preceding the date on which he observed this pheno- 
menon. The 7th and 8th had been fine, but very damp, the 
first six days of the month giving 1°48 inches of rain; the 
morning of the ninth had been fine. 
The observation was quite new to me, but both from the 
form of the objects, and the chemical tests applied, I was 
satisfied they were the eggs of some Arthropod. This was 
verified, and the precise species discovered, on the finding of 
some eggs of Tetranychus lapidus, which corresponded in every 
particular with Mr Clegram’s objects. 
I forwarded the slide to Mr A. D. Michael, the first 
authority on our Acarids, and his reply confirmed the con- 
jecture. He was good enough to inform me that the occurrence 
of these eggs in such immense numbers, is not unprecedented, 
though “ very wonderful in so confined a locality.” 
Jean Frederic Hermann in his “ Memoire Apterologique,” 
Strasbourg, 1804, pp. 50, gives an account of an occurrence of 
this Mite in great numbers, which will be found very similar to 
‘Mr Clegram’s observations. He says: “Ce fut en l’an 9 le 
“citoyen Sulzer, docteur en médecine, et prosecteur 4 1’école 
““spéciale de médecine a Strasbourg, observa des petits corps ou 
“points blancs, disséminés, ou en groupes, sur des pierres 
“calcaires dans les fosses de la grande route, et principalement 
“dans les petites cavités de ces pierres. Ces petits corps se 
“présenterent sous le microscope comme des ceufs de certains 
““insectes, ou presque comme certains fungus (spheria). Ils 
“‘etoient arrondis en bas, a la maniére d’une petite marmite, et 
“ garnis en haut d’un couvercle rayonné, élevé en cone obtus au 
“centre, et depassant un peu le circonference de la partie 
“inférieure. Au mois de Messidor an 10 (1802) j’ai trouvé ces 
““mémes ceufs en quantité innombrable sur presque toutes les 
“‘pierres que j’ai examiné, mais ils etoient accompagnés et 
“entourés d’une aussi grande quantité de petits insectes rouges. 
“Sous la loupe et le microscope on ne pouvais pas méconnoitre 
“la forme de Trombides.” 
