1895.) Entomology. 177 
to the under side of the extreme base of the wings by means of a very 
fine sable brush, within a few seconds renders the wings quite pliable; 
the insect is then placed on the setting-board and set to the required 
position, braces being used if necessary. In from twelve to twenty-four 
hours the specimen is ready for the cabinet, showing no trace of the 
manipulation it has undergone. The shellac is recommended to pre- 
vent any possible future springing or drooping, but the pure naphtha 
produces an equally satisfactory effect so far as relaxing goes. The old, 
tedious process of damping may thus be obviated, and the most delicate 
colors left uninjured.” 
Eyes of Phalangiide.’—Herr F. Purcell finds two types differ- 
ing in the structure of the rhabdome—the Liobunum type and the 
Acantholophus type, and describes these in detail. We can only cite 
a few outstanding results. 
One of the most important characteristics of the retina is the con- 
stant arrangement of its elements in groups (retinulæ), each of four 
cells, and the union of the optic rods of these four cells into a rhab- 
dome, which, though single, is composed of four rhabdomeres. There 
are no pigment or other cells between the retinule. 
In all the species examined the rhabdome consists of two chemically 
different parts. The one part includes the whole central rhabdomere, 
and in the Acantholophus group the distal portion of the peripheral 
rhabdomeres. The other part includes in the Liobunum group the 
whole of the peripheral rhabdomeres ; in the Acantholophus group 
only the proximal part of the same. 
The eyes of the Phalangiide are three-layered inverse eyes of ecto- 
dermic origin. The anterior median eyes of spiders, the eyes of Pha- 
langiide, the median eyes of scorpions, and at any rate the median eyes 
of the king-crab, form a series of homologous structures, characterized 
by an inverted retina with retinule or at least rhabdomeres. As a 
chief result of his investigation the author claims to have definitely 
proved that a retina composed of retinule, or of a modification of 
these, occnrs in the higher Arachnid orders—Phalangiide and spiders. 
(Journal Royal Microscopical Society.) 
Spread of Otiorhynchus ovatus.—Mr. H. F. Wickham pub- 
lishes in Societas Entomologica (Dec., 1894) a short paper on the 
distribution of O. ovatus of such interest that we reprint it entire: 
“ This Euro-Asiatic species has been for some time known as an in- 
habitant of the United States, but has hitherto been supposed to be 
2 Zeitschr. f. Wiss. Zool., LVIII., pp. 1-53. 
