54 
SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 
tlie larvae of a Calliphorine fly, Melinda cognata , living as parasites in a 
snail ( Helicella virgata ). The fly has often been observed depositing 
its eggs on the snail. Similar cases are now brought together — larvae 
of Sarcophaga filia devouring small snails ; S. melanura depositing its 
larvae on a slug ( Avion fuscus ) ; Engyzops pecchiolii probably living 
as a larva on snails ; Lucilia dux and Pycnosoma on Indian forms of 
Achatina ; Sciomyza dubia as pupae in Vitrea and other snails ; and 
various Phoridae found as inhabitants of dead snails. J. A. T. 
Peculiar Cells in Fat-body of Flies. — Elfriede Herrmann 
(Zool. Anzeig., 1921, 52, 193-200, 3 figs.). In some specimens of 
Musca domestica , Calliphora and Lucilia , but not in all, there are white 
spheres and ellipses, with a firm envelope, coarsely granular cytoplasm, 
and large nucleus. Their occurrence seems to be independent of 
species, season, age, sex and nutritive condition. They are formed in 
the fat-body or from some of its cells. They are very probably reserve 
elements. The larger ones contain albumen, and the smallest glycogen. 
J. A. T. 
Fat-cells, Salivary (Hands, and Malpighian Tubules in Tenthre- 
dinid Larvae.— Emil Wilke ( Zool . Anzeig ., 1921, 52, 249-54, 1 fig.). 
In larvae of sawflies the fat-cells lie free, but they are connected by a cell- 
bridge so that a net is formed. The acini of the salivary glands bear a 
very close resemblance to the reticulum of fat-cells, and Wilke argues 
that the acini are transformed fat-cells. The transitional phases are 
remarkable. But the investigator goes further and holds the same to 
be true in regard to the Malpighian tubules. Again, there are the cell- 
bridges and the transitional forms between one kind of cell and 
another. J. A. T. 
Nephrocytes of Pediculus hominis. — George H. F. Nuttall 
and D. Keilin ( Parasitology , 1921, 13, 184-92, 5 figs.). There are in 
lice two groups of excretory-accumulatory cells known as nephrocytes. 
The one group, the peri-cesophageal, lies ventrally and consists of large 
cells aggregated usually in two masses about the oesophagus, anterior to 
the reniform salivary glands. The second group lies dorsally and 
consists of disseminated cell-aggregates linked with the fat-body. The 
typical nephrocyte is a binucleate cell with granular protoplasm con- 
taining greenish droplets of varying size. The excretory function is 
demonstrated by intra-coelomic injection of ammonia-carmine. This is 
taken up by the nephrocytes twenty-four hours after injection, and the 
carmine granules remain in the protoplasm of the nephrocytes throughout 
the life of the louse. Similar cells occur in Mallophaga and have t>een 
wrongly described by some authors as salivary glands. The two groups 
of nephrocytes, seen in Pediculus , occur in other insects, but the dorsal 
group usually forms two chains of cells, known as pericardial cells, lying 
on either side of the heart. J. A. T. 
Philippine Termites. — S. F. Light ( Philippine Journ. Science , 
1921, 18, 243-57). Thirty-three species are recorded from the 
Philippines, belonging to nine genera. One genus, Termitogetonella , is 
known from the Philippines only ; and the same may be said of twenty- 
three species. Among the thirty-three spechs from the islands the 
