34 
SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 
■when introduced, drove away the titmouse, and now the leaves of the 
live oak disappear four times a summer, some trees succumbing and 
others surviving. 
Adhesive Organs on the Tarsal Joints of Coleoptera-* * * § — Prof. P. 
Pero has made a detailed study of the microscopic organs of adhesion 
which are found on the tarsal joints of Coleoptera, especially in the 
lower families of this order. In Longicorn beetles, Curculionidas, and 
Chrysomelidse they are very well developed, and the author believes 
them to be efficient. Their evolution he explains by natural selection. 
But in Carabidi© and Cantharidse ( Idrocantliari ) they are usually restricted 
to the first pair of legs in the males only, and have been interpreted by 
Camerano as evolved by sexual selection, and by Zimmermacher as 
organs for copulatory adhesion. These interpretations are denied by 
Prof. Pero, who maintains that in the families mentioned the structures 
are rudimentary organs entailed on the males only. 
Blood of Meloe and Function of Cantharidine in Biology of Vesi- 
cating Coleoptera.f — M. L. Cuenot confirms the view of Leydig that 
the fluid ejected by a vesicating coleopterous Insect when it shams death 
is blood ; this escapes in somewhat viscous yellow drops from the tibio- 
tarsal articulations. Magretti and Beauregard are therefore wrong in 
regarding the fluid as a special excretion. The chemical constitution of 
this blood is much the same as that of caterpillars ; it has cantharidine 
dissolved in it, and the function of this compound is undoubtedly a 
defensive one. It is excessively disagreeable to other Insects. 
Tongues of British Hymenoptera Anthophila.t — Mr. E. Saunders 
gives descriptions and figures of the tongues of British anthophilous 
Hymenoptera. In all the genera the cibarial apparatus is arranged on 
the same general plan as in Apis, the structure of which was described 
by Mr. T. J. Briant; but it varies considerably in details, both as to 
the shape and the relative proportions of its component parts. After a 
general description the details of the different genera are described. 
Mr. Saunders states that “ it is to the beautiful preparations of Mr. 
Enoch that all the merit of this paper is due.” 
Life-history of Lyda.§ — Dr. K. Eckstein describes the life-history 
of this wasp whose larvae often do so much damage in pine forests. In 
early summer the females of L. pratensis lay their eggs on the tips of 
the pine needles, usually not more than one on a double leaf. The 
hatched larva spins a loose web, and there are usually several of these 
on one twig. The inmates devour the leaves, but without abandoning 
their shelter, which they renew as they move from leaf to leaf. After 
several moults they lose their power of spinning, and the colour, hitherto 
bright, becomes ochreous or dull green. They fall to the ground, and 
soon bury themselves 10-12 cm. in the earth. There they lie quiescent, 
slightly shrivelled, but with leathery skin and abundant adipose tissue. 
They do not pupate, but remain dormant for two years. The whole 
* Atti Soc. Ital. Sci. Nat., xxxii. (1889) pp. 17-64 (4 pis.). 
t Bull. Soc. Zool. France, xv. (1890) pp. 126-8. 
+ Journ. Linn. Soc.,'xxiii. (1890) pp. 410-31 (8 pis.). 
§ Zool. Jahrb., v. (1890) pp. 425-36 (1 pi.). 
