ee ee SP ra Oe Ce Oy Ma ae Ce Ce Ae EO ee 
Nog ape Foals wea yf 
Miscellaneous. 229 
These different salivary liquids have the properties of not under- 
going alteration spontaneously in contact with the air, and of pre- 
serving unaltered albuminoid substances immersed in them. 
The part played by these acids, which are secreted in such con- 
siderable quantities, is still very obscure. The authors remark that, 
in the mollusca in question, the blood is still alkaline; they promise 
further investigations of the subject.—Bibl. Univ., February 15, 
1868, Bull. Sct. p. 170; abstract from Rendiconto d. R. Accad. Sei. di 
Napoh, August and September 1867. 
On an Hermaphrodite Nemertian (Borlasia hermaphroditica) from St. 
Malo. By W. Kererstern. 
Great importance was formerly attributed in zoology to the union 
of the two sexes in the same individual, or their separation in two 
distinct individuals ; and quite recently a French naturalist has en- 
deavoured to distribute the Invertebrata into classes, chiefly in ac- 
cordance with this character. 
It is, however, now certain that monceciousness and diceciousness 
have only a secondary value. Thus we know, for example, that 
both in the Annelida and in the Nematoda, which generally have 
the sexes separate, a certain number of hemaphrodite species are to 
be met with; we also know some dicecious Trematoda, in a group 
otherwise entirely hermaphrodite ; and recently, in the group of her- 
maphrodite Planarie, we have become acquainted with a species in 
which the sexes are separated (Planaria dioica from St. Vaast). 
Hence the discovery made by M. Keferstein at St. Malo of an her- 
maphrodite Nemertian is not particularly surprising; but in any 
case it is an important fact, since it isthe first example of herma- 
phroditism in this group. In this animal, to which M. Keferstein 
gives the name of Borlasia hermaphroditica, the testes were found 
full of mature spermatozoids, and the ovaries of ovules in course of 
formation. The author having studied only a single individual, it 
might be suspected that the organs designated by him under the 
name of testes were seminal receptacles filled with semen ; never- 
theless M. Keferstein believes he has ascertained that this interpre- 
tation would be erroneous. 
However this may be, the author asks whether the discovery ot 
an hermaphrodite Nemertian would not serve to throw a little light 
upon the Nemertians in the perivisceral cavity of which well- 
developed living young have been found by M. Max Schultze, M. 
Claparéde, and M. Keferstein himself.— Gottinger Nachrichten, Janu- 
ary 15, 1868; abstract by E. Claparéde in Bibl. Univ. February 
15, 1868, Bull. Sci. p. 173. 
Anatomical Investigation of some Blind Coleoptera. 
By M. C. Lzspis. 
Many insects destitute of eyes have been described in the last few 
_ years, and among these the Coleoptera especially have attracted 
Ann. & Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 4. Voli. 17 
