78 General Notes. [January, 
male is large and bears indications of transverse division, as if it 
represented two somites. 
Dr. C. Emery, of Bologna, was induced to examine this species 
(Luciola italica L.) by the publication of Wielowiejski’s study of 
Lampyridez in Zeitschrift f. Wissen. Zoologie, 1882. His own 
work was cut short by want of material, as last season was un- 
favorable in Italy; and it is only the preliminary views which he 
now publishes (same journal May, 1884). Some of these results 
are valuable. 
He thinks that the female Luciola, though having wings, is 
unable to fly; though a friend alleged that he found both sexes 
flying iz copula, The females are always very scarce, have two 
luminous spots on the ventral part of the abdomen (5th abdomi- 
nal segment), whilst the males are common, and have the ventral 
parts of the 5th and 6th abdominal segments forming a large lumi- 
nous organ. He is of opinion that in the imago state they 
never eat, and he finds the fore intestine filled with large air-sacs. 
[It might be well to compare this with the rectal air-sacs of 
larvze of dragon-flies, and to see whether they may not be ex- 
tensions of the tracheal system into the intestine, thus serving as 
lungs, and correlated with the great oxygen-consumption in the 
luminous organ]. 
The abdomen contains the luminous organ in its ventral half, 
backed dorsally by a fat-body with concretions of uric acid. 
There are also fat masses in the prothorax, that of the male as 
well as its testes being rose-colored. The luminous organ is richly 
supplied with trachee, the larger tracheal trunks being /ined 
with bristles; and the fine tracheal stems or branches run down- 
wards through the luminous organ, perpendicularly towards the 
horizontal surface of the abdomen. 
On a ventral view with weak magnifying the luminous organ 
is found to consist of bright round or oval areas, one of the per- 
pendicular tracheal stems being in the center of each area, and 
between the bright areas are dark interspaces. The whole organ 
is constituted of vertical columns or cylinders, consisting of 
transparent tissue surrounding a tracheal stem and its branches, 
and the gaps between adjoining columns filled up by cellular 
“parenchymatous” matrix. 
n a side view we can see the large tracheal trunk sending 
down the vertical stems, and marked not by spirals, but by trans- 
verse ridges. [This is one of the many incidental proofs coming 
up that the tracheal system has been misunderstood, that it is 
really the result of crenulations, and that there are no distinct 
spiral threads. Emery says: “I speak purposely of transverse 
‘ridges of chitin, and not, as is usually done, of a chitinous 
spiral, for such does not in fact exist here.” 
By teasing the substance of the luminous plates we are able 
1 The remarks in brackets are by the reviewer. 
2 
ne as 
