648 The Zoologist — March, 1867. 



Mr. Pascoe called attention to an article on Atropos pulsatoria in Hardwicke's 

 •Science Gossip,' of the 1st of February, 1867, in which Mr. W. Chaney wrote as 

 follows: — 



" My first acquaintance with Atropos, or as it is generally called here the wood- 

 louse, commenced about thirteen or fourteen years ago: at that time I lived in an old 

 house iu Brompton, near Chatham, and in my bed-room, which was also my library 

 and museum, I had a very olla podrida of Natural History hanging about the walls; 

 among the rest was a honey-comb. It was soon after the introduction of this to my 

 list of curiosities that the strauge ticking souud (which at the lime sorely puzzled me) 

 commenced, and that led me eventually to the investigation of the cause. I soon 

 found that the noise proceeded from the comb, and on closer examination I saw a 

 number of wood-lice travelling about from one cell to another, and appearing very busy 

 in their explorations. After awhile the ticking commenced, which I quickly traced to 

 a particular cell, and by the aid of a common convex lens I could perceive Atropos 

 beating with its head against the side of the cell, the noise produced being quite as 

 loud as the tick of an ordinary watch, thus confirming Mr. Derhaiu's observations, 

 ' and viewing them with a couvex lens, I soon perceived some of them to beat or make 

 a noise with a sudden shake of their body,' &c. From this lime the honey-comb, which 

 perhaps from its peculiar sonorous nature suited them so well, became the head- 

 quarters of Atropos, and night after night, and sometimes by day, might be heard the 

 tick, tick, tick, by the hour together; sometimes one, sometimes two or more, ticking 

 away with all their might, as if to out-tick each other. At any time by carefully 

 approaching the comb, and waiting a second or two quietly, they might with the aid of 

 a lens be seen at their peculiar pastime. Since then I have lived in my present 

 house, a comparatively new one, for about twelve years, and during that lime have 

 constantly heard the familiar tick from time to time, twice during the last week, 

 October 8th and 10th. Atropos is very numerous here, seeming to prefer the mantel- 

 piece, upon which are several vases filled with artificial flowers, and any night they 

 may be seen by the dozen prying into any little crevice, or minutely surveying petal 

 after petal of their floral habitation." 



Mr. F. Smith said that he had a number of living Atropos which he had been 

 observing for some time, but he had not yet been able to detect them making any 

 sound. 



Mr. M'Lachlan reiterated his disbelief that so soft an insect could be the author 

 of the tapping noise attributed to it; and with reference to Mr. Chaney's observations, 

 be should scarcely have thought that honey-comb was of a "peculiar sonorous 

 nature." 



Paper read. 



Dr. Wallace read a paper " On some Variation observed in Bombyx Cynthia 

 iu 1866." 



Errata.— Zoo\. S. S. 572, note, for " Papilio JEnea," read " Papilio Cenea." 

 Page 584, for " Bombyx Yaraamai," read " the Japanese mulberry-feeding Bombyx 

 yielding green cocoons." — J. W. D. 



