ZOOLOGICAL LlTEiiATUltE. 
;>04 
on the Insects found in the last year’s nefets of Swallows {Hirundo rustica and 
Cheltdon urbica) in Carinthia. The most remarkable portions of these con- 
tents consisted of a great number of pupee of small Muscidfe mostly empty or 
occupied by a parasitic Chalcidite, numerous pupae of Ornithomyia avicidaria 
(Latr.), and in one nest (of II. rustica) from IGO to 180 specimens of Pulcx 
hinmdinis (Kohl) generally in copidd. A young specimen of Acanthia lea- 
tidaria occurred in one nest, but nothing that could be interpreted as A. hi- 
rundinis. 
F. Low publishes (Verb, zool.-bot. Ges. inWien^xvii.pp. 751-752) a note on 
the species of Insects found on the snow in Carinthia (elevation 2700-3400 feet) 
by R. Kaiser, in the winters of 1858, 1861, and 1862. The number of spe- 
cies is small, but they included a new Ilomalota (^H. ylacialis, Mill.) j 2 species 
of Nabis occurred, and Achorutes muro't'um in great quantities. 
Peteau and Selys-Long champs remark upon the European facies of the 
fauna of Chili, in connexion with some observations made on this subject by 
Fauvel (see Record, 1866, p. 310). Ann. Soc. Ent. Belg. x., Comptes 
Rendus, p. x. 
Ebauenfeld (Verb, zool.-bot. Ges. in Wien, xvii. p. 486) notices the 
statements of Deplanche and Vieillard as to the Insects of New Caledonia. 
The information is very meagre. 
Beckeb (Bull. Soc. Nat. Mosc. xxxix. 2. pp. 202-207, and xl. 1. pp. 
106-116) publishes lists of the species of Insects observed by him near 
Astrachan and Saropta, on the Kirghis Steppes, and on the island of Bi- 
rutschi. 
J. Milde, in a paper on the animals of Meran (Jahres-Bericht der Schles. 
Ges. vaterl. Cultur, xliv. pp. 67-68), gives a brief notice of some of the In- 
sects of the neighbourhood of that place. 
Bellieb de la Chavignebie remarks on the general results of an ento- 
mological excursion to the environs of Florence. Bull. Soc. Ent. Fr. 1867, 
p. Ixxxiv. 
A. S. Packabd has published in the American Naturalist (i. pp. 110-111, 
162-164, 220-224, 277-279, 327-329, 391-392) a series of articles on the In- 
sects occurring in the Eastern States at various periods of the year. The 
later portions are particularly devoted to injurious Insects. 
Bilimek has described the fauna of the Cave of Cacahuamilpa in Mexico, 
including several new species of Insects belonging to various orders. The 
only species described as blind is a Lepisma. Verb, zool.-bot. Ges. in Wien, 
xvii. pp. 901-906. 
Wallace discusses the question of the purpose and origin of the brilliant 
colouring of many larvae, especially of Lepidoptera, and suggests that those 
which present bright colours may be distasteful to birds, and easily recognized 
by their striking appearance. Pascoe, Weir, M^Lachlan, and Bates remarked 
upon points connected with this question, the last-named entomologist sug- 
gesting the inquiry whether brightly coloured larvas were subject or not to the 
attacks of Ichneumonidae. Proc. Ent. Soc. 1867, pp. Ixxx-lxxxi. See also /. v. 
p. Ixxxv. See also, on the question whether difference of colour in larvm 
indicates difference of sex, a discussion by Westwood, Smith, Stainton, and 
Bond, 1. e. p. xci. 
Beckeb (/. c. p. 114) discusses the question of the sensibility of Insects to 
the passing of a pin through them. He describes a Malachius ancus, when 
