378 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXXVI. Ko. 925 



made a careful study of the larvse of three 

 species and unhesitatingly places the family 

 in the Cyclorhapha." These three species of 

 Phora he found breeding in decaying snails, 

 and each can he recognized in the larval and 

 pupal condition. The author also investigates 

 the internal anatomy of the larvae and pupae, 

 and the methods of emergence of the flies. 



The full paper* in which Frederic Muir 

 solves the Ascodipteron question has recently 

 been issued; a brief preliminary note ap- 

 peared a year ago. Mr. Muir kept the bats 

 containing parasites, and obtained puparia, 

 which after about a month disclosed the 

 winged flies. After mating, the female at- 

 taches to the bat, breaks off her wings and 

 legs, and by the aid of the powerful mouth- 

 parts burrows until only the tip of her ab- 

 domen remains extruded. Her body enlarges 

 until the head is hidden within a deep an- 

 terior pit. Both new species are from the 

 Malay region. 



A RECEXT entomological portion of "Das 

 Tierreich " is by Dr. H. Friese on the mega- 

 chilid bees of the world.' The author tab- 

 ulates the species according to the main geo- 

 graphical regions. Most of the species are 

 from Europe or North America; the tables of 

 the European species are doubtless fairly com- 

 plete, but the tables for the American forms 

 will be greatly enlarged, as many of our spe- 

 cies are yet undescribed. In Osmia Dr. 

 Friese lists 345 species, in Anthidium 247 

 and in Megachile 540. The work should be 

 of great help to any one who would under- 

 take the careful study of our megachilid bees. 



One of the largest parts of the new " Coleop- 

 terorum Catalogus " is No. 39 on the sub- 

 family Cerambycinas, 574 pages. It will be 

 of the greatest use to the numerous students 

 of this, one of the most popular families of 



' ' ' Keeherebes sur la morphologie larvaire des 

 Dipteres du genre Phora," Bull. Sci. France Belg., 

 XLV., pp. 27-88, 1911, 4 pis. 



* ' ' Two New Species of Ascodipteron, ' ' Bull. 

 Mus. Comp. Zool, LIV. (No. 11), pp. 331-366, 

 3 pis., 1912. 



°"Das Tierreich," 28 Lieferung, Apidas I Me- 

 gaehilinse, 1911, 440 pp. 



beetles, as its author, Dr. Aurivillius, is well 

 known as a most careful and thorough worker. 

 In many of the larger genera the species are 

 arranged according to the main zoological 

 regions. Nathan Banks 



SPECIAL ABTICLES 



SPIEEP-BREEDING EXPERIMENTS ON BEINN 

 BHREAGH ' 



Introductory Remarhs. — It is astonishing 

 how ignorant we all are about common things. 

 Just test the matter on yourself. Sheep are 

 quite common; and we are all more or less 

 familiar with their appearance, and should 

 therefore be able to answer some questions 

 about them. Well then — How many front 

 teeth has a slieep got in its upper jaw? 



You never counted them? You have not 

 observed ? Next time you come across a sheep 

 just look and see, and you will find that she 

 has none at all! — the upper gum is bare. 



We are all familiar with the fact that a 

 sheep suckles her young; and know therefore 

 that she possesses nipples that yield milk. 

 How many nipples has she, and where are they 

 located ? 



Human beings, of course, have only two, 

 located on the breast. Dogs and cats and 

 other mammals that have a litter at birth have 

 many nipples, located in pairs all along the 

 belly. Cows have at least four, located on the 

 belly between the hind legs. Where are the 

 sheep's nipples placed, and how many are 

 there ? 



I must confess that I was myself unable to 

 answer these questions, until, in the year 1890, 

 I made a personal examination of the sheep 

 on Beinn Bhreagh. 



' Prom the Beinn Bhreagh Hecorder, Vol. X., 

 pp. 368-386: A typewritten periodical, limited to 

 five copies, containing records of experiments of 

 various kinds, conducted at Dr. Bell's summer 

 place at Beinn Bhreagh, near Baddeck, Cape 

 Breton Island, Nova Scotia. 



One copy is deposited in the Smithsonian Insti- 

 tution, at Washington, D. C, and the others are 

 in the possession of private individuals, viz., Dr. A. 

 Graham Bell and Mr. J. G. Davidson at Beinn 

 Bhreagh, N. S., and Mr. Gilbert H. Grosvenor and 

 Mr. David C. Fairchild, at Washington, D. C. 



