Miscellaneous. 275 



October 1SS3, a fragment of a tree-branch on which were many 

 groups of Umatella. The fragment, 3 inches by ^ of an iucb, was 

 obtained in the fore bay at Fairmount. Around its middle, for 

 about an inch in length, there were thirty separate groups of Uma- 

 tella, in nearly all consisting each of two stems, of uuequal length, 

 and devoid of terminal polyps. The stems diverged and curved 

 downward and were quiescent, but were evidently living, as they 

 exhibited slight sensitiveness to disturbance. The specimen was 

 placed in an aquarium, exposed to the north light of a window, 

 and in this position, at the moderate temperature of usual living- 

 rooms, was kept during the winter. In March, the stems were 

 observed all to have developed polyps at the distal end, in which 

 condition they continue at the present time (April). Most stems 

 are terminated by a single polyp, but a few exhibit a smaller 

 polyp, supported on a cylindrical joint springing from the ante- 

 penultimate joint of the stem, including the terminal polyp. The 

 stems are quite irritable and bend in graceful curves from each 

 other on the slightest disturbance. The longer stems even hang 

 their heads in a single spiral turn. The longest stems consist of 

 a dozen joints and measure about one eighth of an inch. The 

 shortest stems exhibit one third the number of joints. The stems 

 appear alternately white and black, the former colour corresponding 

 with the thicker portion of the joints, the latter with the constricted 

 portions. Many of the mature joints exhibit traces of the cup-like 

 remains of attachment of branches, in most cases on one side only. 



These specimens appear to indicate that, as in the other fresh- 

 water Polyzoa, the polyps die on the approach of winter ; but the 

 headless stems appear to remain, securely anchored, and ready to 

 reproduce the polyps in the spring. If portions of the stem are 

 destroyed, the remaining joints are capable of reproducing the 

 polyps, commonly from the summit of the terminal joint. Branches 

 usually spring from the last one or two joints, newly produced from 

 that which immediately supports the terminal polyp. Specimens 

 also show that heads may start laterally from old or mature joints. 

 Thus the latter appear to serve as the statoblasts of other freshwater 

 Polyzoa, but ordinarily they do not become isolated from one 

 another. As no specimens have been seen with stems consisting of 

 more than a dozen joints, perhaps, after reaching this condition, the 

 polyps become detached, to establish new groups. — Proc. Acad 

 Nat. Sci. Philad., Nov. 18, 1884, p. 2S2. 



Note on the Intellvjence of a Cricket parasitized by a Gordius. 



Dr. Henry C. McCook said that some remarks upon the habits of 

 the cricket published by him had called forth an interesting com- 

 munication from Mrs. C. W. Conger, of Groton, New York, the 

 substance of which is as follows :— 



" Some twenty-four years ago my husband and myself took 



