April 20, 1883.] 



SCIENCE. 



317 



ment tbat respiratory movements in insects cease 

 after decapitation. Experiments on humble-bees, 

 wasps, coclc-cliafers, and dragon-ilies, show tliat these 

 movements continue in the abdomen after removal 

 of the head, and even of the thorax. Indeed, in some 

 cases, sections of the abdomen of a dragon-fly, as 

 small as one ring and a half, continued the rhythmi- 

 cal respiration. It is tlierefore evident that the nerve- 

 centre for respiration is not in the head. A decapi- 

 tated cock-chafer breatlied for an hour. Heat was 

 found to increase the activity of respiration in muti- 

 lated, as in liealthy individuals. Graphic illustra- 

 tions are given of normal respiration, and compared 

 with those obtained from decapitated specimens. — 

 (ylcc/ui) cma<.jj/i!/s., 1883, 80.) e. b. [673 



{Economic entomology.) 

 Food of Carabidae and Coccinellidae. — The 



view of the habits of the two principal predaceous 

 families of Coleoptera, which is common among ento- 

 mologists, is largely due to liasty generalization, based 

 upon insufficient data. Observations of tlie food of 

 these beetles have hitherto been left almost wholly 

 to chance. Tsvo years ago Prof. S. A. Forbes and 

 Mr. P. M. Webster published the results of a series 

 of careful investigations of this subject. This work 

 has been continued by Prof. Forbes, who now gives 

 the result of an examination of the contents of the 

 stomachs of 175 specimens (representing 38 species 

 and 28 genera) of Carabidae, and 38 specimens (7 

 species and 4 genera) of Coccinellidae. A great 

 diversity of habits of the diiferent genera appears. 

 Thus no trace of vegetable food was found in Calo- 

 soma; in Galerita, from 6% to 12% of the food was 

 vegetable; in Pterosticlius, 20% to 25%; and in Har- 

 palus, 87%. In the Carabidae as a whole, 57 % of the 

 food was vegetable, and 36 % insects. In the Coccinel- 

 lidae, 45 % was spores of fungi, 14% pollen of grasses 

 and Compositae, and .35% insects. — [Bull. III. state 

 io6. )i at /iis«., No. 6, Jan., 1883.) j. H. c. [674 



Food of Wisconsin birds. — Under the title 

 ' Economic relations of Wisconsin birds,' Prof. F. H. 

 King publishes notes on nearly three liundred species 

 which occur in that state. This work is of especial 

 interest to economic entomologists, as it contains the 

 results of an examination, by a very careful worker, 

 of the contents of the stomachs of over eighteen hun- 

 dred birds. To the original observations are added 

 notes from the publications of various ornithologists ; 

 so that a fairly complete resume of what is known 

 respecting the food of each of the species is given. — 

 {^Visc. geul. surv., i.) J. h. c. [675 



VEBTEBBATES. 



Motor-nerve endings. — W. Kiihnehas published 

 two articles on tliis subject, having extended liis ob- 

 servations to a considerable number of vertebrates. 

 He gives descrijjtions of the manifold forms of the 

 terminal ramifications of the axis-cylinder in various 

 species. As the best method of bringing this axial- 

 baum into a visible state while preserving its natural 

 form, lie recommends giving a minimum dose of 

 curare, and then sending tetanic electric irritation 

 through the nerve. After this treatment, the motor- 

 plates can be seen with surprising ease and distinct- 

 ness. Particularly important is his new metliod of 

 isolating the end-plates. Gold preparations are sof- 

 tened in slightly acidiiied glycerine until the muscu- 

 lar fibres can be pressed apart, which, being done, 

 isolated terminal plates are found, showing tlie real 

 arborization, which is quite different from the appar- 

 ent arborization before isolation. The ramifications 

 are composed of the axis-cylinder, and a sheatli of 



substance to wliicli Kiihne gives the not very suitable 

 name of stroma, and wliich separates the axis-cylinder 

 from tlie fundamental substance of tlie motor-plate. 

 A fuller notice will be given upon the appearance of 

 the definite memoir, with tlie promised illustrations. 

 — {Verli. naturh.-med. ver. ITeidelb., iii. 97, 212.) 

 c. s. M. [676 



Nerve-endings in muscles. — Tlie terminal rami- 

 fications in Rana are formed, according to Trincliese, 

 of little disks, placed at more or less regular distances 

 from one another, being separated by a homogeneous 

 intermediate substance. From these (Kiihne's) rami- 

 fications, on the side towards tlie muscles, run out nu- 

 merous very fine filaments. The ' longitudinal striae ' 

 (fibrillae ?) of the muscle have a similar structure to 

 that of tlie axis-cylinder, being formed of disks united 

 by clear intermediate substance; and the disks are 

 united by lateral filaments witli one another. In the 

 intercostal muscles of the boaconstrictor the motor- 

 plates are often subdivided into five or six parts, ly- 

 ing asunder, though connected by filaments. — [Att. 

 accad. lincei, 1882, 83.) c. s. m. [677 



Motor-centres in the cerebral cortex. — As an 

 appendix to an article on the iri'itability of the spi- 

 nal cord, Schiff enters into a long discussion on the 

 nature of the so-called ' motor centres ' in the gray 

 matter of certain convolutions of the cerebral hemi- 

 spheres. Tlie article is too long and too polemical 

 to be brieily abstracted, but is well worth reading. 

 Schiff points out, that, with the exception of Ferrier, 

 all experimenters (even including Fritsch and Hitzig) 

 liave given up tlie belief that the iriltable areas are 

 the motor centres for voluntary movements, and 

 account for the phenomena following stimulation in 

 other ways. Schiff's own belief is, that the so-called 

 motor areas are but reflex centres, in which, during 

 the normal functioning of tlie body, tactile nervous 

 impulses are reflected to the true and deeper-lying 

 motor centres. — (Pflug. wchiv, xxx. 212.) ii. N. M. 



[678 



The domestic animals of Camargue. — Col. 

 Basserie gives some interesting facts regarding the 

 domestic animals of this large, low-lying, and marshy 

 island, wliich is situated at the mouth of the Rhone. 

 The sheep, of the Rambouillet breed, are small and 

 rough, but of peaceful disposition, and very vigorous. 

 They furnish good meat and wool, which has long 

 been esteemed in France for its length and fineness. 

 The cattle are black, small, nervous, and very ener- 

 getic. They live in the wild state in the great marshes 

 of the island, and are absolutely of no value to the 

 husbandmen; nor do they furnish a means of enter- 

 tainment, as they did in the days when bull-fights 

 were not prohibited. The horses, which, like the 

 cattle, receive almost no care, and are constrained to 

 feed upon the coarse vegetation of the marshes, and 

 to endure great and sudden changes of temperature 

 and thirst, are small and ill-appearing, having mas- 

 sive jaws, and large and prominent joints and liga- 

 ments. They are, nevetherless, hardy, energetic, and 

 subject to few diseases. In color they are light gray. 

 — [Bull. sue. agric, etc., de la Sarthe, xxviii. 521.) 

 F. w. T. [679 



The nature of elephant's milk. — "According to 

 the Moniteur scientifique, the milk of the elephant 

 has a composition very closely allied to that of cow's 

 milk. The globules of butter are large, transparent, 

 and have sharply defined contours. The fatty mat- 

 ter has a clear yellow color. It is liquid at ordinary 

 temperature, and solidifies at 18° C. below zero." — 

 (Revue sclent., Jan. 13.) r. w. t. [680 



