NOTES AND MEMORANDA. 
367 
yellovvisli in colour ; the absence of epithelial elements is easily 
explained by the state of the animal. 
The structure of the organ recalling, in all its principal features, 
the constitution of the liver of the Crustacea and Mollusca ; its 
affinities resembling those which it affects in certain of them (Squilla, 
&c.), oblige ns to regard it as a new form in the worms, and show that 
if the majority of these animals deviate in this respect from the other 
Invertebrata, there are some which deserve to be classed with them 
and possess like them a true hepatic gland.* 
The Sting of the Honey Bee. — The new ‘American Quarterly 
Microscopical Journal ’ commences with an article by Mr. J. D. 
Hyatt, of 11 pages (with 2 plates), on this object, which the author 
describes as one which “ our naturalists have either imperfectly 
understood or else the records of their knowledge are so concealed in 
voluminous reports of scientific societies as to be practically inacces- 
sible to the amateur microscopist. 
It is true that we have in most of our books that treat of micro- 
scopic objects, a general description of this mechanism, and if we go 
to the head waters and consult such original investigators as 
Burmeister, Westwood, and numerous others, but above all the 
admirable researches of M. Lacaze-Duthiers, we shall greatly extend 
our knowledge. Yet after having, at great expenditure of time, con- 
sulted all these and many other works, we may come back to our 
slide containing the dissected sting, and still find an inexplicable 
mystery in some of its parts. This has been my experience, and 
with a view of determining more accurately the entire mechanism of 
this intricate and complicated structure, I have carefully observed its 
action, so far as possible in the living insect, and by numerous 
dissections, in which I have traced every point of connection of the 
various pieces, and tested every possible movement of the parts upon 
each other, and made transverse sections through every point in its 
entire length. .1 now venture to place before you the result of my 
investigations.”! The article cannot unfortunately be usefully 
abstracted, and we can only refer to the Journal itself, of which 
a copy is in the library. 
Neio Diatoms. — Mr. F. Kitton sends the following : — 
Melosira Borreri (Grev.j, var. hispida, Castracane. This variety is 
distinguished from the type by the presence of teeth or short spines 
scattered over the surface of the valve, and more especially at the 
base of the convex part of the frustule. Canal de Trau, Dalmatia. 
CVCLOPHOEA TENUIS, No.v. Gen., Nov. Sp., of M, De Castracane. 
Cycloyhora, n. g. — Frustula tabulata, rectangula vel in fascias con- 
juncta, vel soluta, vel isthmo gelineo alternatim conjuncta, a fronte 
oblonga linearia, vel parum inflata ; valvis inmqualibus, quarum una 
* M, Joannes Chatin, in ‘ Comptes Rendus,’ vol. Ixxxvi. p. 974. 
t ‘ American Quarterly Microscopical Journal,’ vol. i. p. 3. 
