176 NOTES ON VARIOUS INSECTS. 



swallowing, and then the currents between the stomach and 

 the branch went on again as usual." 



Mr. Lister concludes, from his various observations of the 

 Sertularice, that the circulating fluid is the great agent in 

 absorption, and that it performs a prominent part in the 

 obscure processes of growth. In this we fully agree, as these 

 properties are indisputably possessed by the blood of verte- 

 brated animals; but its flowing into the stomach of the polypus 

 seems altogether an anomalous fact, and exceedingly difficult 

 to account for. Our author suggests whether this fact does 

 not indicate that the circulating fluid is also a solvent of the 

 food. 



There are five plates accompanying this paper, engraved by 

 Basire, from the author's drawings ; and we wish to call the 

 attention of naturalists to them, as perfect models of accuracy 

 and neatness. 



Art. XVIII. — Notes on various Insects. By Jonicus. 



Sir, — As a military man, whose profession is his first, and 

 entomology a second pursuit, I feel diffident in publishing 

 any of my observations on this, to me, most fascinating branch 

 of Natural History ; believing from the present advanced state 

 of the science, that such facts as a young and self-taught 

 entomologist conceives new, may be merely details of well- 

 authenticated truisms to his more experienced readers. Should 

 you consider the following worth inserting amongst the 

 varieties of your excellent publication, I trust they will make 

 due allowance for my having regarded natural habits with 

 deeper interest than scientific arrangement. 



1. Filaria. — On the 18th of April last, finding to my 

 surprise that a female specimen of Zabrus gibbus, which I 

 had placed, with several other beetles, three hours before, in 

 solution of spirits of wine, was not completely deprived of 

 motion when taken out, I again submerged it in the spirits, 

 and returned in about an hour. I then observed what appeared 

 to be a black intestine protruding from the anus of the Zabrus 

 about an inch ; and on more closely examining it, observed 

 that it was an animated worm. Gently extracting it, I freed 

 the beetle from two of these parasites — the second white and 



