Ferruary 7, 1907] NAT ERE 349 
Mucn interest attaches to an account, by Mr. James | year 1564, a herd of thirty aurochs. By 1599 the number 
of a 
Murray, in the January number of the Zoologist, 
remarkable ‘* encystment ’’? undergone by a British species 
of so-called ‘‘ water-bear ’’ (Macrobiotus). Certain peculiar 
little yellow elliptical or sausage-shaped packages, from 
which, when squeezed, water-bears in a quiescent con- 
dition spurted out, were, it appears, first observed. Sub- 
sequent investigation proved these to be an early stage 
of the enevstment of these creatures. 
examined there is an outer cyst with six rudimentary legs ; 
In the species fully 
inside this is an inner, limbless cyst containing at first a 
fully developed Later on the 
shrinks to an almost amorphous condition, so that it looks 
more What happens afterwards, and like- 
wise the obiect of these strange changes, have vet to be 
detected almost 
water-bear. Macrobiotus 
like a worm. 
ascertained. A similar was 
synchronous!y by Prof. Lauterborn in the case of a Con- 
tinental the same Mr. A. Campbell 
describes certain naked house-mice similar to a de- 
scribed in Mus 
however, this phase is a pathological development, it has 
eneystment 
species. In issue 
type 
nudoplicatus. Since 
, 
1856 as musculus 
obviously no right to a racial name. 
Tue U.S. Bureau of Entomology has re-issued (Bulletin 
No. 26) a report, published in 1895, on the San José or 
Chinese scale-insect (Aspidiotus pernictosus) in a_ revised 
and expanded form, so as to include an account of the 
investigations and remedial measures which have 
undertaken and suggested since that date. The author of 
the new publication is Mr. C. L. Marlatt, acting chief of 
the Bureau. The insect, it seems, first made its appear- 
ance in America in the early ‘seventies at San José, Cali- 
been 
fornia, on the estate of the late Mr. James Lick, who was 
in the habit of importing plants from abroad. It was not, 
however, until 1g01, as the result of a special expedition, 
that its native home was definitely located in north-eastern 
China. The isolated condition of this habitat is considered 
to be the reason that prevented the pest from overrunning 
a large portion of the world centuries ago. Despite the 
destruction caused to orchards when it once obtains a foot- 
ing, the pest is now to a great extent under control, mainly 
owing to a lime-sulphur wash. In some degree the in- 
vasion has, indeed, been a blessing in disguise, since the 
greater care rendered necessary in selection, planting, and 
culture has largely benefited 
At one time great hopes were entertained that a Chinese 
ladybird would form the most efficient restraining agent, 
but the use of washes and the presence of a_ parasite 
were inimical to the beetle. 
fruit-growing in general. 
WeE have to acknowledge the receipt of the first three 
parts of a new ,ublication from the Museum ftir Natur- 
und Heimatkunde zu Magdeburg, edited by Prof. A. 
Mertens, the director of the museum. By far the 
important item in these Abhandlungen und Berichte is a 
paper by the editor on the urus, or aurochs (Bos primi- 
genius), which occupies the whole of part ii. The author 
gives a review and digest of the whole of the early litera- 
ture and documents relating to the ancient wild ox of 
Europe, as well as of the comments upon them by previous 
writers. In his opinion, there is no doubt that the name 
aurochs properly belongs to this animal, although it has 
often been misapplied to the bison. It 
that in the time of Herberstain (the middle of the sixteenth 
century) both aurochs and bison were living in Poland, 
and that they were seen alive by him. According to other 
testimony, there living in the Jaktorowka (or 
Wislkitki) forest, of the Masovia district of Poland, in the 
NO. 1945, VOL. 75 
mest 
is likewise certain 
was 
was reduced to twenty-four, while in 1602 only four re- 
mained, these being reduced in 1620 to a single cow, which 
appears to have been alive seven years later. It seems, 
however, that a few half-domesticated individuals were 
living in captivity in 1627. Herberstain’s testimony that 
the aurochs was typically a black (or at all events a very 
with a light 
tends, however, to 
streak is 
show tt! 
dark-coloured) animal dorsal 
Other 
there was a grey variety or phase in Poland, and a red 
accepted. evidence 1at 
one in central Germany, while the partially domesticated 
individuals kept in confinement during the early part of the 
other 
particulars 
seventeenth have colour 
with 
century may developed 
Several 
regard to the breeding and general habits of the aurochs 
phases, partial albinism. with 
are also given. 
In a fifth of his 
Central American Plants,’’ 
“* Studies 
published as vol. x., part ili., 
instalment of Mexican and 
Meg 
naa ret 
Caliwanus Caespitosies (dCDeidw.) inuse. 
of the Contributions from the United States National 
Herbarium, Dr. J. N. Rose describes a large number of 
new species. The author being greatly interested in cacti, 
made them the subject of special investigation during his 
trip in 1905, and has identified several new and interest- 
ing specimens that are described and illustrated. In some 
cases numerous individuals cluster together to form a large 
cushion, as Echinocactus others develop 
strange arboreal structures producing hundreds of nearly 
erect branches, notably Cereus Webbert, while Echinocactus 
ingens produces a large circular body that is cut up into 
sections resembling Dutch cheeses and boiled with sugar to 
make candy. 
shown in the illustration here reproduced, that is character- 
ised by its thick corky exterior, and lives upon the food 
absorbed through a few fibrous roots; it forms the type 
of a new named after Shakespeare’s Caliban, 
Calibanus caespitosus. 
robustus ; into 
Even more curious is the liliaceous plant 
genus, 
