PRECOCIOUS DEVELOPMENT OF THE CATERPILLAR. 21 



moult to a high temperature. It will be of interest to know if the 

 moths possessed well-developed genital parts, fitted for copulation and 

 for the deposition of fertile eggs. 



I have given purposely, in full, the original, as the two records ex- 

 isting disagree on some important facts. Lacordaire seems to have 

 seen the original, as his record contains some statements not given by 

 Meckel. Nevertheless, he has surely seen, and partly translated, 

 Meckel's record, as is proved by the words : " les deux yeux noirs 

 rapproches." a verbal translation of the " Zusammengesetzten Augen," 

 by Meckel. The presence of fore-wings only is recorded by Meckel, of 

 hind-wings only by Lacordaire. 



The statements given by Majoli are probable, except that the thorax, 

 which is said to be similar to the third segment of the caterpillar, has 

 four wings. The identity of the abdomen with the abdomen of the 

 caterpillar consists perhaps only in elongation, as the presence of other 

 parts is not mentioned. 



Lacordaire considers the fact as proving the development of certain 

 parts of an insect by precocity, though the other parts follow the com- 

 mon rule of development. 



The fact would be a rather interesting one if it was beyond doubt. 

 As silk-worms are raised every year by millions. I should have sup- 

 posed that the observation would have been oftener made and pub- 

 lished. Nevertheless, it is astonishing that such a fact, tilling in some 

 way the gap between insects with an incomplete metamorphosis, and 

 those with a complete one. is not used by evolutionists. 



A paper by the well-known Lepidopterologist, Mr. E. J. C. Esper. in 

 Hoppe. Entom. Taschenbuch (for 1796), pp. 183 - 188, which I have not 

 at hand, may possibly treat the question of a precocious development. 



Majoli's observation is briefly reproduced (after Meckel) by Professor 

 Van der Hoeven. in his quoted paper, p. 272. He remarks that no re- 

 lated observations are known, and that his observation rests only upon 

 its own merits. 



DEFORMITY OF THE ELYTRA. 



Strategus (Geotrupes) Julianus. 



The late Professor J. Wyman observed a specimen of this large 

 beetle flying around in Florida in 1874. The movements were in some 

 way strange and unusual, and induced Professor J. Wyman to catch 

 the beetle. To his astonishment he found it perfectly developed, but 

 the elytra wanting. The specimen, preserved in alcohol, he presented 

 shortly before his death to the collection. 



