Miscellaneous. 301 



tion of the fruit in the Cruciferae. Upon this point some writers 

 have put forward singular opinions, in consequence of the difficulty 

 originating from the position of the stigmata in this family. Now- 

 all those who suppose that the ovules originate from the median 

 part of a carpellary leaf reduced to the placenta, or joined to its fellow 

 upon the median line of the valves, are refuted by the fact that the 

 placenta presents a perfectly peculiar structure. The opinion of 

 De Candolle, that the septum was formed by the reentering margins 

 of the carpels, is also invalidated, as the four lines of bilateral origin 

 of this organ are situated upon the parenchymatous circumplacentary 

 ring, and the structure of the septum is quite different from that of 

 the valves. The fruit is therefore to be regarded as formed of two 

 carpels alternate with the placentas, and of two intervalvar placentas, 

 from which the septum issues on each side and by a double origin. — 

 Comjites Rendus, September 4, ISC'}, p. 404. 



Male Generative Organs of Phalangiam. 

 To the Editors of the Annals of Natural History. 



Chislehurst, Kent, 5th Sept. 1865. 

 Gentlemen, — The 'Annals and Magazine of Natural History' for 

 this month contains a translation of Dr. Krohn's memoir on the Male 

 Generative Organs -of Phalungium, in which he points out certain 

 mistakes made by Treviranus and Tulk, and explains the true rela- 

 tion and homologies of those organs. 



I had, however, four years ago made the same observations, and 

 given a figure in all essentials identical with that of Dr.Krohn ("On 

 the Generative Organs in the Annulosa," ' Philosophical Transac- 

 tions,' 1861, p. 612). 



This memoir appears to have escaped the notice of Dr. Krohn. 

 I am. Gentlemen, your obedient Servant, 



John Lubbock. 



On the Mode in which the Long-eared Bat captures its Prey. 



Botanic Gardens, Regent's Park, 

 Sept. 14, 1865. 



My dear Sir, — I have lately noticed a curious way in which 

 the Long-eared Bat (Plecotus auritus) captures its prey ; and al- 

 though it may be familiar to naturalists, I have not found it men- 

 tioned by authors. 



The peculiar structure of Bats is well known. The highly deve- 

 loped membrane used as the flying- apparatus or wings is also ex- 

 tended from the hind legs to the tail, forming a large bag or net 

 (the interfemoral membrane), not unlike two segments of an um- 

 brella, the legs and tail being the ribs. 



Having caught a lively male specimen of the common Long- 

 eared Bat, and placed the little fellow in a wire-gauze cage, and 

 inserted a few large flies, he was soon attracted by their buzz, and, 

 pricking up his ears (just as a donkey does), he pounced upon his 

 prey; but instead oftakhig.it directly into his mouth, he covered it 

 with his body, and beat it by aid of his arms, &c., into the bag or 



