88 



Northeni News. 



look veiy handsome. Hermann, in 1804, ])c)inted out the vahic 

 of the papilla? as characteristic marks of species, and gave figures 

 of several of them in his great work. Mr. Soar, in May 1894, 

 and Mr. Wm. Evans, of Edinburgh, kindly sent me a most 

 beautiful specimen of it last year. Evidently it is widely dis- 

 tributed. 



Ottonia hiiUata. — This prett}' little mite was sent to me 

 alive, by Mr. W. Evans, of Edinburgh, It was of a fine scarlet 

 lake colour, and under a low power of the microscope it looked 

 ver}'^ rugged. This appearance is produced by the structure and 

 arrangement of the hairs or papillae, which are very remarkable, 

 and characteristic. When highly magnified they seem to be 

 little hollow globes, with a circular opening at the top, and a 

 stalk at the bottom, which fits into a socket like a candle in 

 its stick ; the flange of the candlestick being cut into several 

 teeth or leaflets, something like the calyx of a flower (see 

 figure e). The globular part is covered with minute hairs, 

 which project beyond the circular opening ; and are generally 

 arranged in rows from above downwards, forming lines similar 

 to the meridian lines on a globe. The papillae vary in size, and 

 are not arranged in lines, but in irregular rosettes or circles. 

 The mite also has other remarkable hairs, such as those on the 

 under side of the palpi (figure b.), which are finely pectinated ; 

 and again others flattened rather feather-like towards their 

 distal ends, as in figure c, on the upper side of the legs and 

 palpi. The eyes are very prominent, and situated on each side 

 of the cephalothorax. The palpi have two claws at the distal 

 ends of the fourth joint. The legs are as usual, rather short, the 

 fore ones being slightly the longest, and have the last joint 

 clubbed, and slightly longer than the others. They are without 

 the peculiar foot-pad between the claws possessed by T. fuli- 

 ginosum. The sternite is also peculiar, but is not shewn in the 

 figure. When mounted in Canada balsam, a good deal of 

 colour is retained, and the papillae seem to alter slightly, 

 becoming less globular, and more cup-shaped, like Mr. Soar's 

 drawing (figure E.). 







We have received from Mr. R. W. Goulding, of Louth, a copy of a 

 most interesting paper, read to the Louth Antiquarian and NaturaUsts 

 Society. It is entitled ' The Building of Louth Spire, 1501-1515,' and is 

 based upon information obtained from the earliest volume of the Louth 

 Churchwardens' accounts. The Spire is built of Ancaster Oolite, quarried 

 at Willeffurth ( = Wilsford) , Keylby ( = Kelby) , and Hessilbrugh. The total 

 cost of the work appears to have been :^305 ys. 5d. 



Naturalist^ 



