Insects. 7055 



three or four days. A few weeks ago I noticed a small specimen had thrown off both 

 the large claws ; it of course remained in that conditioif many days, during which it 

 took the food offered it, but with difficulty, from the vvtiut of the usual implements to 

 convey it to the mouth. A few days ago it cast its shell, and is now again furnished 

 with claws. Tiie following note on the same subject was made more than a year ago. 

 In the month of February a soldier crab, which had not been very long captured, cast 

 away one or two of its legs without any apparent cause; in a day or two after a few 

 more were discarded, together with the bigger claw, and after a similar interval the 

 remaining limbs followed. The legless crustacean then left its shell and rolled help- 

 lessly about the dish. I pushed the shell to it, but could not get it to re-enter ; it did 

 not seem to have the inclination, and without assistance certainly not the power, as it 

 lay on its back twiddling its feelers as its only amusement. In two or three days it 

 seemed to have changed its mind, and on being helped to its shell took to it readily, 

 and remained therein for ten days or a fortnight, when all further observation was 

 ended by the dish being too long exposed to the sun, and the constitution that cared 

 nought for the loss of arms and legs succumbed to the want of a parasol. The spawn 

 was deposited at the same time that this specimen parted with its limbs, but no con- 

 nection may exist between the two actions. — George Gut/on ; Ventnor, Isle of Wic/hl, 

 May 9,-. I860. 



Situation of Pyrgoma. — At Zool. 6994, as elsewhere, I find Pyrgoraa spoken of as 

 seated on the lip or " margin of the corallum of certain CaryophyllaceEe." A specimen 

 of Caryophyllia Smithii now in my possession has two Pyrgomee situated on the same 

 fragment of rock, close to the base of the Madrepore. — Id. 



A Glimpse of Mull and its Fauna. By Alexander Somerville, Esq. 



Last summer, early in June, we enjoyed a pleasant excursion to 

 the Highlands of Scotland. A notice of some entomological obser- 

 vations made by us on our journey from Glasgow to Oban, appeared 

 in the ' Intelligencer' of September. In the present paper we propose 

 to give a short account of our visit to the island of Mull. 



After spending about ten days in the neighbourhood of Oban we 

 started, taking the road leading to the pretty Sound of Kerrera. 

 When we had proceeded a little way, we followed the path which 

 runs along the cliffs overhanging the shore, and had the pleasure of 

 seeing the little speckled Ennychia octomaculalis " spinning along" 

 as Mr. Birchall describes it at Killarney. Melitaea Artemis was 

 extremely abundant ; we came on a female carelessly depositing eggs 

 among the short grass on Tormentilla stalks. Zyga^na Flipendula) was 

 booming along with its heavy flight in the bright sunshine. We were 

 unfortunately too soon for Zygiena Minos. 



The next object of attention was a pool, the surface of which was 

 overspread with a species of Potamogetou. Here, after a icw skims 



