476 . | General Notes. [July, 
than half a dozen specimens in the aforesaid collection, all having ` 
similar markings and shade 
In addition to the above, Calamospiza bicolor frequently varies. 
Odd white feathers are scattered indiscriminately over the neck or 
breast, as was noticed in a number of specimens secured on Heart 
River, Dakota Territory. One specimen in my collection, has 
but a single white feather on the throat, though that appears 
rather prominently upon the black back ground.—W. F. Hoff- 
man, MD. 
Mopbe oF MOULTING OF THE LINING oF CROP AND STOMACH IN 
Insects.—Attention has been lately directed to the mode of 
moulting by German a sapesially from the histological 
stand-point, with interesting results. Dr. Braun has published an 
article on the histological occurrences in the moulting of Astacus 
fluviatilis in Semper’s Arbeiten (ii. p. 120, 1875). In the same 
Journal and volume Cartier gives the results of his studies on the 
finer structure of the skin of reptiles, Kerbert has recorded his 
observations on the skin of reptiles and other vertebrates in 
Schultze’s Archiv. für Microscopische Anatomie (xiii), and, during 
the past year, Dr. Wilde has made known his observations on the 
mode of moulting in the grasshoppers and locusts (Wiegmann’s 
Archiv). 
In the reptiles as well as in the craw-fish (Astacus), moulting is 
effected by the growth of fine cuticular hairs of temporary growth 
which originate on the new skin, and grow up, thus loosening 
and pushing off the old skin. When this is accomplished these 
deciduous hairs disappear. This has been observed in the reptiles 
as well as in Astacus. a to this rule only occur in the 
reptiles on certain parts of the body, as for example the under 
side of the scales, the capsular skin of the eyes; in the crawfish 
the faceted cornea of the eye, the eyestalk itself, and the inner 
lamella of the fold of the carapace over the gill-openin 
gS. 
It has probably been noticed by many that in moulting, the: 
crayfish and lobsters cast off the solid chitinous lining of the 
crop and fore-stomach (proventriculus) the large teeth lining the 
latter remaining within the cast skin. It is so with the chitinous, 
teeth- -bearing lining of the crop and fore-stomach of insects. 
r. Wilde maintains that the moult of the crop and proventric- — 
ulus (fore- stomach) follows that of the integument, and according 
to Braun the formation of a new cuticle in the stomach of the 
crayfish results at rather a late period after the change of skin. 
In the Orthoptera (grasshoppers and locusts) as soon as the 
moulting has taken place, the old cuticula of the crop and fore- 
stomach has disappeared. Wilde found that in several species, 
when about to moult, in all cases the old chitinous layer of the 
crop and fore-stomach was separated from its under layer, a new 
cuticula already being present. If we cut open the crop longitud- 
ia BN on Fa sass | ‘ie ci aaa 
