^JouJnLlKrimT PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 285 
QuEKETT Microscopical Club.* 
At the ordinary meeting of the club, held at University College, 
September 24th, P. Le Neve Foster, Esq., M.A., President, in the 
chair, five new members were elected, and five gentlemen were pro- 
posed for membership. A number of donations to the club were also 
announced, and the thanks of the meeting returned to the donors. The 
Secretary read a paper by the late Dr. J. J. Wright upon the " Har- 
vest Bug" (Trombidium Autumnale), and which was illustrated by 
microscopic preparations. The paper described the appearance of the 
insects, their habitat, and habits as far as known, and considered that 
they were the young or immature form of some species of Tick. It 
was a common belief that the great irritation caused by the bite of 
these insects was occasioned by their burrowing under the skin ; this, 
however, was believed to be erroneous, as no orifice could be disco- 
vered in the wales produced, nor was the insect provided with means 
for making an incision sufficiently large for the purpose. The wales 
closely resembled those produced by the stinging-nettle, in which also 
examination fails to detect any puncture ; the inflammation in both 
cases being doubtless due to the injection of acrid fluid. Dr. Braith- 
waite thought that Lectis would be a more proper designation than 
Trombidium for these insects, the latter being that of the common red 
Earth Mite. He did not think that the fact of its having only six 
legs necessitated its being a larval form. Mr. M. C. Cooke said that 
although no further development was at present known, it was gene- 
rally considered by entomologists that this was a larval form of some 
species of Arachnida, and that it belonged to the section Tromhididce, 
in which the larval form was hexapod. A species was known as com- 
monly parasitic upon Tipulae and Dragon Flies ; this had six legs, 
and was the larval form of an insect which in its perfect condition was 
purely aquatic. He entirely difl'ered from the opinion that the Har- 
vest Bug was a larval form of Tick ; for although in this state the 
Ticks were hexapod, yet they so closely resembled the perfect and 
octopod insect tha^ there could be no doubt on this point. Mr. Arnold 
remarked the circumstance that the Harvest Bugs commonly bit per- 
sons under ligaments, or wherever there was a pressure from any 
article of dress. Mr. Mclntire suggested that it would be an easy 
matter to settle the question of the identity of this insect with the 
young of the Earth Mite, which was very abundant, laying eggs in 
March, which were hatched in June. 
Mr. Wight read a short paper " On the Use of Reade's Prism as 
a Polariscope," the mode of application being exhibited in the room. 
The Secretary introduced to the notice of the club a new form of 
microscope for aquarium observation, the invention of Mr. J. W. 
Stevenson. The instrument consisted of a bar of brass fitted with 
clamps for firmly fixing across the top of a tank ; on this the mount- 
ing of the microscope tube was so arranged as to slide from end to 
end as required, and by means of two jointed motions could be directed 
to any portion of the tank, the adjustments for depth and focus being 
* Eeport supplied by Mr. R. T. Lewis. 
