ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 
537 
Myrmecophilous Animals.* * * § — M. Charles Janet adds to liis previous 
studies on myrmecophilous animals a list of those animals whose 
relations with their hosts are best known, and classifies them under 
different categories. Regarding as truly myrmecophilous only those 
which really seek the society of the ants, and come of themselves to live 
in their nests, he enumerates a large number, and discusses their relations 
to their hosts’ under the following headings: — “ Parasitism , Phoresie, 
Myrmecocleptie , Synechlrie, SynoeJcie, and Myrmecoxenie .” In conclusion 
the writer points out the various conditions which attract so many differ- 
ent animals, e.g. convenience and security of the nests, abundance of 
vegetable food in ligneous nests, abundance of animal food, heat gene- 
rated in the nest, the tendency of ants to bestow as much care on the 
young of other species in the nest as on their own, &c. 
Researches of Charles Janet.j — M. Charles Janet has compiled a 
useful illustrated summary of over thirty papers which he has published 
during the last few years. Most of them deal with insects, and many 
have been reported in this Journal. 
£. Myriopoda. 
Fertilisation in Pachyiulus communis.J — Sig. F. Silvestri shows that 
in this Myriopod the spermatozoa are immobile and cap-shaped, and are 
passed by the male into the two receptacula seminis of the female. The 
egg emits a pseudopodium, comparable to the attractive or receptive 
cone in other ova, which actively draws a spermatozoon through the 
micropyle. In short, the ovum here plays an active role, while the 
spermatozoon is passive. 
y. Protracheata. 
Distribution of Peripatus.§ — E. L. Bouvier describes Peripatus 
Tholloni sp. n. from Africa (Gaboon). It seems to be intermediate between 
the American species and those of the Cape, and the author makes it the 
starting point in a discussion of the geographical distribution of the 
genus. It seems fairly certain that Central America and the Caribbean 
region was the centre of origin and migration. Some went west to 
Australia and adjoining regions, others eastwards to Africa. 
New Species of Peripatus.|| — E. L. Bouvier describes P. tuber culatus 
sp. n., found at Popayan, in New Grenada (Columbia). Its very nume- 
rous (37 pairs) flattened appendages, the complex armature of its 
mandibles, the four papillae and five spinous ridges on the appendages, 
are regarded as primitive characters. More than any other species it 
approaches the supposed Annelid-like ancestor. The specific title refers 
to the large tubercular papillae on the dorsal surface. 
S. Arachnida. 
Agrarian Acarids.^f— Sig. A. Berlese begins a memoir on the mites 
which occur on cultivated plants. He gives a general account of their 
* Limoges, 1897, 98 pp. 
t ‘Notice sur les Travaux scientifiques presentes par M. Charles Janet.,’ 1890, 
94 pp., 105 figs. 
X Atti R. Accad. Lincei (Rend.), vii, (1898) pp. 129-33 (5 figs.). 
§ Comptes Rendus, exxvi. (1898) pp. 1358-GL || Tom. cit., pp. 1524-5. 
f Riv. Patol. Veg., vi. (1897) pp. 1-65 (40 figs.). 
