172 Mr. B. F. Ciimniiiig-i on the Thorax in 



some interest, inasmucli as it affords us with an example — T 

 imaaine, rare in the Insecta — of the attaehment of the coxce to 

 tije margin of the dorsal or notal surface. The coxse, roughly 

 cup-shaped, are applied by their concave surfaces to the 

 ventro-lateral region of the thorax on each side. The lower 

 (or inner) half of the edge of each cup is attached to the 

 sternal surface, while the uj^per (or outei) half reaches to the 

 de])ressed margin of the notum, vvliich on each side has a 

 clearly maiked rim, and is usually strengthened by a daik 

 longitudinal bar connecting up each transverse rafter. Just 

 where the upper half of each coxal cup es!ablishes a point of 

 contact with the notal rim the chitin of the latter becomes 

 thickened, and often runs out into a dark depressed pro- 

 montory or jetty — one for each coxa. A rafter runs in from 

 each jetty. 



It is unnecessary to summarize here the form and course 

 of these exoskeletal rafters ; suffice it to say that, with the 

 exception of the meso-metanotal one in many Haimatopini 

 for example, they rarely run right across the up]ier surface, 

 but disa})pear before halfway into the thinner chitin of the 

 middle area. 



I believe 1 have discovered iti Ilcematopinus asini a pair of 

 clavicles within the prothorax, very much as they occur in 

 some ]\lallophaga ; while in many, if not all, llsematopini 

 there is ])resent in the middle of the metanotal region a 

 structure of some interest, not hitherto described. It shows 

 on the surface as a small circular depression, but in specimens 

 passed through caustic potash the depression is seen to be the 

 mouth of a small chitinous funnel, which does not descend 

 into the thorax perpendicularly, but is directed backwards as 

 well as downwards, so as to lie beneath, and in many cases 

 to project behind, the posterior margin of the metanotum. 

 The funnel is graduated, and ends blindly in a point, like a 

 dunce's cap. It should be regarded presumably as a thoracic 

 apodeme for the attachment of muscles, and a more careful 

 examination of it by tlie method of sections might produce 

 results of interest. In one form or another all the members 

 of the genus llceviatopinus, I believe, possess this funnel, and 

 it occurs also in Antartto/ht/,irus ogviorhini^ End., and in a 

 less funnel-shaped condition in A. Iricktci (Boh.), and 

 J^ediculus cap'uis, De Geer, 



Thorax in Xesiotinus (Mallophaga). 



The much more complicated thorax of the Mallophaga 

 presents a very interesting study in comparative anatomy ; 



