28 



ON APPENDAGES TO THE FEET OF INSECTS. 



the hind legs of some aquatic insects, when they are not used 

 either as aids to progression or for the capture of prey, the claw- 

 hairs are scarcely distinguishable from other hairs by which they 

 are surrounded. The five " supplementary claws " (slightly modi- 

 fied hairs) of JEpe'ira, and still more noticeably the claws found by 

 the author along the entire under surface of the tarsi of Pholcus 

 plialangioides, w r ere mentioned as supporting this view. 



This, the first portion of the paper, after recalling the brilliant 

 researches of Professor Huxley on various dissimilar tegumentary 

 structures formed from hairs in the higher animals, concluded 

 with a few reflections on the equally remarkable series of modifica- 

 tions of the same essential part in the Articulata. 



In the second portion of the paper the structure of sucking-disks 

 of a more complicated nature was somewhat minutely treated. 



The most complex in structure was stated to occur in the feet 

 of the Wasp, Hornet, and some of the Bees, in which it is a single 

 central organ, situated beneath the ungues. Its various parts were 

 described, with their appearance whilst in action. It was stated 

 that in some, as the Hymeuoptera, the whole organ was soft and 

 contractile, to enable it to be readily put away out of danger, as 

 well as preserved in efficient condition for action when required. 

 It was believed that the whole of the Lepidoptera were also fur- 

 nished with a similar organ, but that, being of firmer consistency 

 in them, it was le3s liable to injury ; and the author had been unable 

 to satisfy himself that, in any of this tribe, it possessed such an 

 amount of contractility. 



The bifid sucker of Malacldus amcus in the Coleoptera, and 

 of several of the Pentatomidae amongst the Hemiptera, was then 

 described, together with the hood-like sucker ("vesicle" of authors) 

 terminating the tarsi in Thrips, in various species amongst the Co- 

 cropid®, and in many of the Acarida. Several Tipulida) were men- 

 tioned as presenting the only instances of a sucker beneath the 

 claws amongst the Diptera. 



The idea was broached thatthc terminal sucking-disk was perhaps 

 an additional tarsal joint modified to serve a special purpose. 



The paper was illustrated by numerous drawings and specimens ; 

 one of the latter, a beetle, possessed of as perfect powers of 

 walking on gla^s as a lly, was shown living. 



