SCIENCE- GOSSIP. 



229 



anObisiuvi, was also found to spin ( 6 ). Simon (1879) 

 mentions having frequently observed Cherries 

 cimicoides in its cocoon, under the bark of plane- 

 trees at the commencement of winter; the creature 

 being then always found in a circular structure, 

 white or somewhat pearly. In Chernes cyrneiis, he 

 says, the cocoon is larger, irregular, and very trans- 

 parent. Obisiwn fagorwn, inhabiting the frozen 

 regions of the Alps, according to the same author, 

 constructs, beneath stones, a more solid cocoon, 

 nearly round, without an opening, and covered with 

 earth and vegetable fragments. It recalls the egg- 

 cocoon of the spider Enyo ('). Zabriskie (1884), 

 writing from Nyack, N.Y., has noted the finding 

 of a pseudo-scorpion which had died in its. cocoon- 

 in the act of moulting. The cocoon, made at the 

 edge of a piece of paper on a beam in a garret, was 

 oval, two-tenths of an inch long. The lower sur- 

 face consisted of a flat white web of extremely 

 thin translucent texture, while the upper surface 

 was slightly convex, firmer and darker than the 

 lower ; and " the entire edge was bordered with 

 minute pieces of sawdust, firmly glued to the 

 web" ( 8 ). Finally, Croneberg (1887) mentions 

 having repeatedly found Chernes lialmii= Chernes 

 cimicoides near Moscow during the cold season, in 

 its little watchglass-like cocoons, under the bark 

 of trees ( 9 ). 



With regard to the organs concerned in the pro- 

 duction of the silk, a view now believed to be 

 erroneous was long accepted. It originated, ap- 

 parently, with Menge, who attributed a spinning- 

 function to organs now called cement-glands. 

 These structures, of which there are two, open 

 by median papillae beneath the commencement of 

 the abdomen, not far from the genital aperture. 

 The largeness of their openings, it is said, shows 

 that they have nothing to do with spinning ; and 

 it is thought that their function is that of sticking 

 the eggs together and fastening them to the 

 animal ( 10 ). As is well known ("), and as the 

 writer has seen in Chelifer latreillii. the eggs are 

 attached one to another and to the under side of 

 the abdomen— apparently by a gummy liquid. 

 What are now believed to be the true spinning- 

 glands are found in the cephalothorax ; and they 

 have their openings near the tip of the movable 

 finger of the pincers of the first pair of appendages 

 — the chelicerae or mandibles. The apparatus 

 was discovered by Croneberg, whose results have 

 been confirmed by Bernard. The glands when 

 fully developed are of large size, but, like the 



(ti) M'Intire, Journ. Quekett Micr. Olub. i. (1868), pp. 8-14 ; 

 and " Hardwieke's Science-Gossip," L869, pp. 243-7. 



(7) Simon, I.e. 



(8) Zabriskie, " Nest of the Pseudo-scorpion," American Na- 

 'turahst, xviii. (1884), p. 427. 



(9) Croneberg, 1887, as translated in Ann. & Mag. of Nat. 

 Hist. (5), xix. (1887), pp. 316-2(1. 



(10) Bernard, Journ. Linn. Soc. : Zool. xxiv. (1893) pp. 

 410-430. 



(11) Simon, I.e. 



cement-glands, they are apparently subject to 

 periodic variations. Croneberg, who studied 

 Chernes cimicoides, maintains that the apparatus 

 well fulfils the requirements of a spinning-organ. 

 He found in the cephalothorax, above the brain 

 and the anterior hepatic lobes, two considerable 

 glandular masses, touching each other in the 

 median line, and having much attenuated anterior 

 ends entering the basal joint of the chelicera on 

 each side. Each mass consists of four or five 

 cylindrical closely approximated tubes, the narrow 

 efferent ducts of which pass into the chelicera in a 

 fine bundle, traceable through the basal joint, and 

 into the movable finger, which latter they traverse, 

 so as to reach a soft-skinned process at its tip. 

 This process terminates in short conical points 

 into which the ducts may be traced singly, and in 

 which they doubtless open by fine apertures. 

 Croneberg notes, further, that the chelicerae are 

 provided with a number of processes apparently 

 fitted to pull and arrange threads of silk. Along 

 the inferior surface of the movable finger there is 

 a long comb, consisting, in Chernes cimicoides. of 

 eighteen plates ; whilst on the immovable part 

 there is a serrated and denticulated process, with a 

 semicircular fold at its base. 



Bernard, whose material was derived from bottles 

 labelled Obisiwn sylvaticumi or 0. ca/rdnoides, states 

 that the ducts open on a blunt prominence behind 

 the tip of the movable finger ; and that they can 

 be seen, about seven in number, running through 

 each chelicera. The ducts proceed from as many 

 somewhat coiled reservoirs, behind which are the 

 secreting portions of the glands, which latter run 

 backwards, immediately under the dorsal wall of 

 the body, and sometimes extend beyond the 

 cephalothorax into the second or third abdominal 

 segment. Bernard speaks also of the combs of the 

 chelicerae, believed to be used in manipulating the 

 silk, and he regards the spinning-glands as homo- 

 logous with the poison-glands of spiders. 

 {To be continued.) 



Pigeon Post. — In connection with the inaugura- 

 tion of a pigeon post at the Crystal Palace, the first 

 of a number of breeding lofts has been completed, 

 and the remainder are in hand. As a fitting 

 •■ send-off " a most interesting exhibition of homing 

 birds was organised by Mr. Edgar S. Shrubsole, the 

 Curator. The exhibits, which included many 

 famous war pigeons and the best of the racing 

 birds in the United Kingdom, numbered quite two 

 thousand. Some valuable prizes were offered in 

 connection with speed trials and general excellence. 

 During the meeting discussions were held in the 

 Board Boom of the Crystal Palace Company each 

 evening, the subjects being: ■•General Organisa- 

 tion of the Crystal Palace Pigeon Tost. Formation 

 of Council of Advice and Executive Committee ; " 

 '■Methods of Linking up Lofts throughout the 

 Kingdom, and perfecting the training of the 

 Crystal Palace birds:" "Appointment of Special 

 Service Sub-Committee to arrange details for the co- 

 operation of the Naval and .Military Authorities." 



