224 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



into the buccal cavity. Unmutilated chilopods use their palps as a first 

 pair of limbs to turn the prey in the directions most suitable to their being 

 cut by the mandibles. The palps are also used to clean the joints of 

 the antenna9, and sometimes of the feet. 



In female spiders the palps do not seem to have any more importance 

 than the reduced limbs, and specimens deprived of these organs, spin their 

 threads quite normally, and take and suck insects in exactly the same 

 manner as uninjured examples do. 



If the author's conclusions are just, it would seem that the palps of 

 mandibulate insects, female spiders, and Myriopods, are degenerate cephalic 

 aj^pendages which have lost their primitive size and function, and have 

 become almost useless organs, of which their possessor may be deprived 

 without suffering any inconvenience. 



a. Insecta. 



Vesicating Insects.* — M. H. Beauregard continues his researches on 

 vesicating insects or Meloida3, of which previous reports have been given. 

 (1) The circulatory and respiratory systems are first briefly discussed, but 

 do not differ in any important point from those of other insects. (2) The 

 nervous system is also simply referred to, as Beauregard's results were essen- 

 tially confirmatory of the careful investigations of Audouin, Brandt, Eatz- 

 burg, and Erichson. (3) The reproductive system of the male is then 

 discussed in detail, with special reference to the common Cantharid 

 {Cantharis vesicatoria). (a) The testes are almost spherical bodies, colour- 

 less or slightly yellow, composed of a large number of elongated tubules 

 opening centrally into a common reservoir, with which the end of the vasa 

 deferentia is associated, (b) The vasa defer entia consist of an epididymis 

 portion, lined with large cylindrical cells and clad externally by a muscular 

 tunic. This is followed by a larger cylindrical tube, which serves as a 

 sperm reservoir. It opens into the enlarged urn-shaped anterior extremity 

 of (c) the ejaculatory duct, which forms for the rest of its course a muscular 

 tube. There are three pairs of {d) accessory glands which open into the 

 swollen anterior urn of tho ejaculatory duct. The insertion and structure 

 of these glands is then described. Omitting the histological details, the 

 first pair consist of scorpioid tubes with a mucous secreting function, and 

 never acting as sperm-reservoirs. The short caeca which form the second 

 pair also contain a sort of granular mucus. The third pair consist of long 

 necklace-like tubes with very thin walls. They alone function as 

 seminal reservoirs, and are at the same time the seat of the production 

 of the active principle cantharidine. Nine different forms are then dis- 

 cussed. In most there are three accessory glands, but Sitaris has only 

 two, and Ejncauta four. Among those with three pairs, Zonitis and 

 Mylahrum are somewhat divergent. 



Biology of Chrysomelidse.t — Herr Weise points out that much still 

 remains to be done on the biology of the ChrysomelidaB ; from the facts 

 cited by him with regard to the habits of the larv^, it is clear that the 

 subject is one of much interest, and that there are considerable differences 

 to be observed in various forms. 



Anatomy and Physiology of Tongue of Bee.:]: — Herr P. F. Breithaupt 

 has chiefly investigated the tongue in species of Bomhus where the parts 



* Journ. Anat. et Physiol., xxii. (1886) pp. 524-48 (1 pi.). 



t Naturforscher, xix. (1886) pp. 510-11. 



J Arch. f. Naturgesch., cii. (1886) pp. 47-112 (2 pis.). 



