Feb. 29, 1872] 



NATURE 



351 



organs ; these are spoon-shaped, and are besides armed with 

 horny processes, hooks, and other appendages, and must be 

 looked upon as true generative organs. In the Astacida; the 

 sexual organs of the male are at the base of the first pair of 

 abdominal legs, those of the female at the base of the third pair. 

 Among the true winged-insects there is one remarkable case of 

 abnormal position of these organs, in the dragon flies, which 

 have the seminal vessels in tlie ninth, while the complex male 

 sexual organs are situated in the second, abdominal segment. It 

 is interestmg to note that this curious anomaly occurs in an 

 order which is considered to be of the greatest antiquity and 

 most generalised type among the true insects. 



There are many other facts of a similar character to those I 

 have now touched upon, and they all become clearly intelligible 

 on the theory of Mr. Spencer, that the Annulosa are really com- 

 pound animals, or, as he expresses it, " aggregates of tlie third 

 order ; " while the other great groups of highly organised 

 animals — Mollusca and Vertebrata — are typically simple animals, 

 or "aggregates of the second order," (the cells of which their 

 structures are built up being " aggregates of tlie first order "). 

 Nothing of a similar characier is to be found among the two 

 latter groups. No molluscous or vertebrate animal can be 

 divided transversely so that the separate segments sliall be in 

 any degree alike, and contain repetitions of any important 

 organs. The distinct separation of parts in the vertebral column 

 has been acquired, for it is less visible in the lower types tlian in 

 the higher {the reverse of wliat obtains among insects), and in 

 the lowest of all is quite absent ; while in none is there any 

 corresponding multiplicity or displacement of respiratory, circu- 

 latory, or generative organs. The vertebral column corresponds 

 rather to the segmtnied shell of the Chiton, and has no more 

 relation than it to the essential ]jlan of the more important vital 

 organs. Neither does any mollusk or vertebrate undergo spon- 

 taneous fission, nor that complete and progressive segmentation in 

 the process of development whicli is characteristic of all Annulosa ; 

 nor do they ever exhibit the phenomena of parthenogenesis or 

 alternation of generations, the essential feature of both which is, 

 that numerous individuals are produced from a single fertilised 

 ovum, by a process analogous to (or perhaps identical with) 

 ordinary gemmation, and both which phenomena sometimes 

 occur even among the higher iirsects. 



In concluding this short sketch of a remarkable theory, I 

 would observe, that if it is a true one it at once invests the 

 objects of our study with a new and exceptional interest ; because 

 they are the most highly developed portion of a group of animals 

 which will, in that case, differ fundamentally in tlieir plan of 

 structure from all other highly organised forms of life. In the 

 study of the habits, instincts, and whole economy of insects, we 

 shall have to keep ever in view the conception of a number of 

 individualities fused into one. yet perhaps retaining some separate- 

 ness of mental action, a conception which may throw light on 

 many an obscure problem, and which will perhaps materially 

 influence our ideas as to the nature of life it^elf. We must 

 remember also, that if the insect is really a compound animal, 

 then the only true homology that can exist between it and a 

 vertebrate, or a mollusk, will be one between a single segment 

 and an entire animal, and ihe search after any other will be so 

 much lost time. Especially must the acceptance of this theory 

 have an important bearmg on all embryological and genetical 

 studies ; and if the facts and arguments adduced by its learned 

 and philosophical author do make out even a prima facie case in 

 its favour, it must deserve the careful and unbiassed consideration 

 of all who endeavour to solve the problem of the Origin of 

 Insects. 



THE AUSTRALIAN ECLIPSE EXPEDITION 



TSTE have already announced that no scientific residts are to 

 "^ ' be expected from the Australian Eclipse Expedition, owing 

 to the unpropitious state of the weather. The following particu- 

 lars are obtained from the Mi-lboKnic Argus : — 



" The five days intervening between the arrival at No. VI. 

 Island and ihe echpse wtre employed by the astronomical party 

 in erecting and testing the instruments. Tents had to be put 

 up, brick loundations and pedestals built, and distances deter- 

 mined. There was plenty of hard work, and the time at the 

 disposal of the astronomers was found to be none too much. 

 Nor were those who had to sleep on shore with the instruments 

 to be envied, Possession of the island was hotly disputed by 



legions of rats, who behaved in the most impudent manner. 

 They boldly eyed the operations in the daytime, winking 

 wickedly from behind the tufts of grass. Every night they held 

 a corroboree in the tents, coursing over the instruments and 

 the forms of the wearied sleepers, gnawing hats and any baggage 

 which promised a toothsome morsel ; and in some instances they 

 had the audacity to bite the men who attempted to brush them 

 away. The passengers filled up the interval by visits to the main- 

 land, and one or two of the neighbouring reefs and islets. On 

 Thursday, December S, Mr. Moore formed a party and went to 

 Cape Sid mouth, the boat carrying provisions for three or four 

 days. A native on the beach seemed much alarmed at their 

 approach. When they landed he ran off at full speed and was 

 not seen again. Only two other blackfellows showed themselves, 

 thoughtlie tracksand campfiresproved that there were many in the 

 neighbourhood. These blacks were known to be hostile, and it 

 was necessary to take precautions to guard against a surprise. 

 The master of the schooner Challeiige, from Sydney, bound for 

 Cape York, passed with his vessel a few yards astern of the 

 Goz'crnor Blackall that morning. On hearing that a party had 

 set out with the intention of landing at Cape Sidmouih, he ex- 

 pressed the consoling opinion that if they entered the bush they 

 would never come out of it again. But no such disaster befel. 



" On the hills, which rose abruptly a few hundred yards from 

 the beach, were well-defined t]uartz reefs, and the neighbourhood 

 presented all the appear.mce of auriferous country. A few miles 

 from Cape Sidmoutti was found an enormous heap of the bones 

 of the dugorig, the strange mammal which inhabits these seas. 

 There were nearly two tons of bones, piled up in fantastic 

 ariay, with all the skulls on top. At every turn were ant-hills, 

 rising in solid cones from 6 ft. to 12 ft. high, and almost as hard 

 as granite. Some of them had fine pinnacle.s, and these airy 

 minarets, clustered together in graceful shapes, had a very 

 pleasing effect. The numeious screw pines were also an agree- 

 able feature in the landscape. The mountains, eight or ten 

 miles inland, were well wooded, with occasional abrupt squares 

 of grassed land. 



" Mr. Moore prosecuted his botanical researches on the main- 

 land during two days. Those who understand botany may be 

 interested to learn from his account that the high ground at the 

 cape is sparsely covered witV stunted growths and trees, chiefly 

 Eucaiypti ^ni\ Grtt'iilca c/irysantha. Advancing into the interior, 

 broad-leaved acacias and arborescent species of Hakca and Mela- 

 leuca principally characterise the open forest country. There 

 are belts of thick jungle scrub of no great width, in which a very 

 slender and graceful palm, which is believed to be new, occurs 

 in great abundance. A species of Nepenthes, or pitcher plant, is 

 also found in great profusion. Araliaceous trees are numerous. 

 Feins are scarce, but in the open forest the ground is thickly 

 covered with Schizffa dichotonia. A very remarkable plant was 

 found as an undergrowth in this, having large while bracts and 

 briglic green foliage. It is supposed to be a species of Mussienda. 

 Toward the north of the cape is a long, low, flat country, chiefly 

 covered with mangrove. The sandy patches contain a variety 

 of undershrubs and climbers, with a tree here and there. The 

 silk-cotton p\a.n\.(CochlospermHm gossypitiiii) s.\so varies the scene 

 with its delicate flower. Among these shrubs a very interesiing 

 plant — a species of Eugenia — was lound. It bears a fruit about 

 the size and colour of a cherry, having a pleasant sub-acid flavour. 

 This fruit was largely eaten by the party, and the tiee which 

 bears it is supposed to be well worthy of cultivation. The vege- 

 tation is otherwise principally characterised by a species of Bus- 

 beckia, Elaodcndron, Hibiscus, Baichinia, and a species of 

 Baitksia. After leaving the mainland the party visited No. VII. 

 Island of the Claremont group, where Mr. Brazier added an 

 Auricula and a Bulinius to his previous collection of shells, 

 which included specimens of the genera Diplummatina, Pupa, 

 Hilicariou, HcIix, Truncatella, Pythia, and Cassidida. Had 

 the expedition selected a portion of the mainland for the observ- 

 ing point, there would have been some interesting and extensive 

 explorations in the interior. The party were fully equipped with 

 arms and ammunition, some supplied by the Government and 

 some privately owned, but with the ship nine miles off, and the 

 limited time at our disposal, much exploration was impracticable. 

 In any case, there was no anchorage for the vessel within two 

 miles of the shore, and that was one of the reasons why the 

 island was preferred for the observatory. 



*' On Thursday aiternoon, some of the excursionists went in the 

 c.tptain's boat to look for shells on a small sandbank which had 



conae into view, and landed on an island considerably smaller 



