384 Miscellaneovs. 



character and violate its limits, if we introduced into it an animal 

 with so singular a structure as Cryptoprocta. 



This animal must, therefore, form a peculiar group approaching 

 most nearly to the cats ; and in order to represent exactly the re- 

 lations which it has to the genus Felis, it would seem necessary to 

 unite it with those animals in a tribe which would then be subdivided 

 into two families, one including the digitigrade, and the other the 

 plantigrade Felinge. — Comptes Rendus, August 5, 1867, pp. 232- 

 235 : abstract. 



A ivay to determine Trichopterous Pupa. 

 By A. E. Eaton, Trin. Coll. Cam. 



Having been asked in what way the pupa-skin described in the 

 last June Number of this Magazine was ascertained to be that of 

 Brachycentrus subnubilus. Curt., without rearing the insect, I will 

 briefly indicate it, with a view to the removal of any doubt that may 

 be entertained respecting the correctness of the determination. 

 1st, by observing what species is, or are, most abundant in a 

 certain locality at a given time ; 2ndly, by collecting from patches 

 of weeds the sloughs of pupte, and putting together those which 

 correspond in size ; 3rdly, by making a comparison between the leg- 

 spurs, the neuration of the wings, and the palpi of the slough and 

 those of the adult state of the most probable species, it is not 

 difficult to refer a pupa-skin to the proper insect. This done, by 

 dredging up occupied caddis-cases, the living pupa (and thus the 

 case also) of the species can be discovered. 



On the Spontaneous Movements of the Leaves of Colocasia esculenta 

 (Schott), and on the Ejection of Water from them in a continuous 

 jet. By M. Musset. 



M. Lecoq has published*, in the ' Comptes Rendus ' of the 22nd of 

 last April, some very interesting observations on the spontaneous 

 movements of the leaves of Colocasia esculenta (Schott). 



" Several times he had the opportunity of witnessing violent fits of 

 shaking, among others on the 20th of January and 2nd of March. 

 On the latter day, in the morning, although the temperature of the 

 stove was lowered to 7° C. ( = 4.o°'6 F.), the agitation was consider- 

 able in all the leaves, both old and new, without exception : it is an 

 actual febrile movement, a very violent shivering." 



These facts, except as regards intensity, are identical with those 

 that I have sometimes witnessed, in observing the ejection of water 

 by the leaves in vernation of Colocasia esculenta-^. This was some- 

 times a sort of vibration impressed upon the convoluted and erected 

 leaf, sometimes a waving of the expanded leaf, sometimes a rustling 

 in the interior of the mass, which was composed of a hundred leaves 

 of every dimension, from 0*1 to TIO metre in length. 



* See Annals, ser. 3. vol. xix. p. 439. 



t See 'Comptes Rendus,' tome Ixi. p. 682, October 23, 1865, and my 

 memoir in ' Ann. de I'Acad. des Sciences de Toulouse,' 1866. 



