224 PSIGHE. 
PSY ra. 
CAMBRIDGE, MASS., JUNE 1881. 
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PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 
LINNEAN SOCIETY oF LONDON. 
3 Fes. 1881.—...A paper was read by 
Mr. A. D. Michael, entitled, Observations on 
the life history of gamasznae. In this the 
author endeavors to decide some of the dis- 
puted and knotty points in reference to these 
humble parasites; Mr. Mégnin of Versailles 
and Dr. Kramer of Schleusingen, both good 
authorities on the subject, being at variance 
thereon. Mr. Michael, believing that detach- 
ed observations on captured specimens may 
have produced unreliable results, has himself 
bred gamasids, closely followed their changes 
and growth, and watched their manners, and 
thus has arrived at what he assumes on good 
grounds to be important results respecting 
their life-history. He states that the remark- 
able power of starting each mandible separ- 
ately with speed and accuracy of aim far in 
advance of the body, the powerful retractile 
muscles attached to these mandibles, the 
organization of the remainder of the mouth, 
the extreme swiftness of the creatures, the 
use of the front legs as tactile organs only, 
and not for the purpose of locomotion, and 
the ample supply of tactile hairs in front only, 
seem to fit the animals for a predatory life, 
and point to habits similar to those of Chey- 
letus and Trombidium, rather than to those 
of the true vegetable-feeders, such as the 
ortbatidae and ftetronycht. He further con- 
cludes: 1, that Mégnin is correct in saying 
Gamasus coleoptratorum, and other allied 
creatures, with the conspicuously divided 
dorsal plates, are not species at all, but are 
immature stages of other species; 2, that the 
division of the dorsal plate is, in most cases 
at all events, a question of degree, and does 
not form a sound basis for classification, as 
applied by Koch, Kramer and others; 3, that 
the dorsal plates do not grow gradually, but 
alter in size, shape, or development of the 
ecdysis; 4, that Mégnin is right in saying 
that the characteristic of the so-called G. 
marginatus is simply a provision possessed 
by the females of a large number of species; 
5, that the extent of the white margin de- 
pends upon the extent to which the abdomen 
is distended by eggs; 6, that Mégnin is in 
error in saying that G. coleoptratorum is the 
nymph of G. crassifes. The nymph of 
crassifes does not show any divided dorsal 
plates which can be seen on the living crea- 
ture; 7, that in the species bred there has 
not been observed any inert stage before the 
transformations or ecdysis; 8, that in the 
same species copulation takes place with the 
adult female and not with the immature one, 
as Mégnin contends, and that it is by the 
vulva not the anus.—Zoologischer Anzeiger, 
28 Mar. 1881, jahrg. 4, no. 79, p. 167-168. 
ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON. 
15 Fes. 1881.—... The Rev. O. P, Cam-= 
bridge, C. M. Z. S., exhibited and made re- 
marks on a hymenopterous parasite, hatched 
from larvae found on two spiders, Linyphia 
obscura, Blackw. 9 and L. zebrina, Menge @. 
The larvae were stated to be apodous, and to 
adhere to the abdomen of the spider, which, 
when full grown, they fully equalled in size. 
Lord Walsingham read a paper on some new 
and little known species of North American 
tinetdae, amongst which were three new 
generic forms.—P. LZ. Sclater, in Zool. 
Anzeiger, 7 March 1831, p. 117-118. 
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