ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 
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(clay, sand, wood-particles), and 71 * 34 per cent, of stuff soluble in 
chloroform (wax mixed with resin). 
Luminosity'of Phospheenus hemipterus.* — Dr. C. Verhoeff finds that 
the larvae as well as the nymphs and imagines (of both sexes) have a pair 
of luminous spots on the pleural membranes of the eighth abdominal 
segment. In Lamprorhiza splendidula, the larva, nymph, and female 
imago have three corresponding pairs of spots, to which a fourth and 
fifth pair are added in the nymph stage. The larva of Lampyris noctiluca 
agrees with that of Fhosphsenus hemipterus as regards luminous spots. 
In all cases, the luminosity requires to be incited by a nervous 
stimulus. 
Mexican Jumping Bean.| — Mr. F. L. Harvey gives an account of 
the Mexican jumping bean which is often exposed for sale as a curiosity. 
Those who have seen this bean know that it is able to execute short 
leaps forward, or even turn over by a sideway movement. These animated 
curiosities are the product of the plant belonging to the Spurge family 
which is known as Sebastiania bilocularis. If some of them are put in 
a box and examined the following season, their movements will be found 
to have ceased. Small holes will be found in the seeds as though 
something had gnawed itself out. In the bottom of the box small moths 
will be found. If the beans are opened while still active, each will be 
found to have a larva snugly tucked away in its interior. The worms 
do not entirely fill the space that was occupied by the seed, and by 
suddenly changing their position they are able to give movement to the 
light seed pods which they occupy. The moth which escapes from them 
is known as Graptoliiha Sebastian se of Riley. 
Action of Gases on Eggs of Xnseets.f — Prof. E. Perroncito and 
Dr. G. Bosso have experimented on the action of chlorine vapour, 
bromine vapour, carbon disulphide, carbonic acid, coal gas, &c., which 
are in various degrees injurious. 
y. Protracheata. 
Peripatus insignis in Tasmania.§ — Prof. Balwin Spencer was 
fortunate in finding 15 specimens of this species in one locality in 
Tasmania. One point to be noticed is the large size of the specimens 
as compared with those of the mainland, a feature not unfrequent in the 
case of other forms of life common to Tasmania and the continent. 
Whereas the Victorian specimens measured about 11 mm. in length and 
1 in greatest breadth, the Tasmanian forms measured as much as 23, 17, 
and 15 mm. in length and 4 or 3 in breadth. The discovery of P. insignis 
in Tasmania is another proof of an alliance between that island and the 
south-eastern part of Australia. 
S, Arachnida. 
Development in Spiders. || — Dr. F. Purcel has some short notes on 
the development of the lungs, entapophyses, tracheae, and genital ducts 
* Ver. Nat. Ver. Rheinlande, li. (1894) pp. 208-13. 
t Amer. Natural., xxix. (1895) pp. 767-9. 
X Giorn. Med. Vet. Pratic. Torino, xliv. (1895) pp. 297-301. 
§ Proc. Roy. Soc. Victoria, vii. (1895) pp. 31 and 2. 
|1 Zool. Anzeig., xviii. (1895) pp. 396-400 (2 figs.). 
2 T 
1895 
