930 MB. H. H. BBINDLET ON BEPEODUCBD [DeC. 13, 



seemed to commence from the two large basal joints or from one 

 of the smaller ones borne by them. 



Neuroptera. — Watson (77) has observed that in the larva of 

 Agrion amputation of a leg " close to the body " was followed by 

 reproduction by the next ecdysis. Lubbock (54) found that the 

 terminal joints of the antenna in nymphs of Ghloeon were not 

 reproduced. 



Leindoptera. — It is stated that autotomy occurs in the imagos 

 of certain forms, but as there is no regeneration the point is not of 

 present interest. Several authors have described deformities and 

 reproduction in the legs of imagos after amputation performed on 

 their larvae or pupae. But in this group the great uncertainty as to 

 the relationships between the several parts of the larval and pupal 

 appendages and those of the imago presents great difficulties to 

 the study of reproduction. Gronin (37), in a recent revision of the 

 structure of the larval legs just before pupation, concludes that only 

 the extremity of the developing pupal leg projects into that of the 

 larva. Hence amputation of the latter at its base removes only 

 the tarsus of the former, and so on. Till the details of meta- 

 morphosis are better understood our knowledge of reproduction 

 of appendages in Lepidoptera must remain very slight. Reaumur 

 (71) ol)tained negative results by amputating the legs in the larva 

 of Vanessa ; while Ne\^port (61) found that the same method of 

 experiment resulted in either complete or partial development of 

 the injui-ed limbs in the imago. He concluded that regeneration 

 commenced from the seat of injury wherever situated. Melise (58) 

 agreed with this on the strength of his own experiments on the 

 larva of Sericaria. Watson (77) obtained reproduction of the legs in 

 Platysamia after injuring those of the larva. In a discussion of the 

 diverse results of Eeaumur and Newport, Kiinckel d'Herculais (49) 

 considers that while the former destroyed the histoblast rudiment 

 of the imago leg, the latter merely mutilated it; but Gonin (37) 

 holds that this explanation is insufficient in view of the non- 

 agreement in position of the similarly named regions of the larval 

 and pupal hmbs. 



As there can belittle doubt that reproduction of the appendages 

 can occur in members of other Arthropod orders than those which 

 have received experimental enquiry, the preceding summary of our 

 present knowledge of how far the power of commencing a new 

 growth is confined to one region or distributed more generally in 

 an appendage is, of course, very incomplete. Enough is known, 

 however, to establish that there is a considerable range of variation 

 in this respect between the members of different orders and to 

 some extent between members of the same order. In cases where 

 autotomy in the strict sense of sudden ruptm-e of a hmb either in 

 immediate or almost immediate response to a stimulus is most 

 clearly exhibited, it is a necessary result that reproduction is 

 initiated from one particular point, especially where, as in 

 Crustacea, the regenerated region can be seen sprouting from the 

 stump and covered only by a thin cuticle. But in Tracheata it is 



