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TRANSLATIONS. 
Pretiminary Osservations on the Luminous Oreans of 
Lampyris. By A. KOuuixker. 
(From the ‘ Verhandl. d. Wurzb Phys. Med. Ges.,’ 130, VIII, 1857.) 
I. ANATOMICAL. 
1. Tur luminous organs of the various species of Lampyris 
are of a special nature and well defined ; not to be confounded 
with the adipose substance, and presenting a determinate 
form, size, and position. 
2. The males of Lampyris spendidula have two flattened 
luminous organs, appearing white to the naked eye, on the 
ventral aspect of the sixth and seventh abdominal rings; 
to which corresponds an uncoloured spot in the chitinous 
integument. The females have similar organs in the same 
situation, but in them the one situated in the sixth ring is 
double. Besides these, I find in the female Lampyris, four 
to five pairs of lateral organs, which are not always disposed 
symmetrically, and presenting the form of flattened globules, 
situated on the sides of the abdominal segments from the 
first to the sixth rg. The luminosity of these lateral organs 
is brightest when they are viewed from above. When not in 
a luminous condition, their pale transparent colour and deep 
position render them difficult of detection without careful 
dissection. 
The females of L. noctiluca have two larger, yellowish- 
white luminous plates on the ventral aspect of the sixth and 
seventh abdominal rings, and besides these, two minute 
organs on the eighth or caudal rmg. ‘The latter only, and 
these of a smaller size and grayish transparent hue by day- 
light, are present in the males of this species. 
3. All the luminous organs, both ventral and lateral, pre- 
sent essentially the same structure, consisting of an in- 
vesting membrane, enclosing a parenchyma composed of 
cells, trachee, and nerves. 
4. The envelope is a delicate, structureless pellicle, on the 
inner surface of which may be seen minute, very widely 
scattered nuclei. 
5. The cells of the parenchyma constitute a compact mass, 
occupying the whole interior. They are of a rounded poly- 
