THE AUSTRALIAN NATURALIST ‘ 
THE AxoLott. Those who have had the pleasure of visiting 
Mr. Finck’s aquarium will remember that interesting creature 
the axolotl, the tadpole or so-called larval stage of the Sala- 
mander (Ablystoma tigrinum), which possesses gills, and for 
some unknown reason breeds in this stage, though it ultimately 
loses the gills and passes into the gill-less mature state. 
At the Soiree of the Royal Society of London in May of 
last year, it was shown that when brought under the influence 
of ox thyroid gland extract, the change takes place with great 
rapidity, the otitis effect of the thyroid extract precipi- 
tating the transformation. 
This result was aptly expressed by a. well-known British 
chemist, as follows :— 
“Oh, come with me and you shall see 
The Axolotl gay, 
He’s only here three weeks or so, 
He hasn’t come to stay; 
He'll be a salamander soon 
Disporting in the warm lagoon, 
A snack of thyroid does the trick, 
Research has found a way!” 
Kd. 
Parasitic Wasps.—At the September meeting, Mr. L. Gal- 
lard exhibited two species of parasitic wasps, one introduced, 
the other indigenous, which had apparently so reduced the 
Brown Olive Seale (Lecanium oleae) that, whereas ten.or twelve 
years ago it was a serious pest now it has to be sought for in 
a number of our coastal districts. 
Banded Hover Fly.—Mr. Gallard also exhibited young orange 
twigs, on which studded amongst orange aphis were the small 
white elongate eggs of this Syrphus Fly. In his experience 
when these appear early it may be taken as an indication that 
there will be little trouble with the Peach Aphis. The eggs 
hatch out tiny larvae, which feed so ravenously on the aphis, 
that, when they get an early start they almost clean it up before 
it gets a chance to spread to any extent. Lady birds come 
along later and do good work, but their weakness is that they 
do not appear until the aphis has done most of its damage. 
Tape Worms.—Other exhibits were tape worms from the 
gall-bladder of a wallaby, and from between the skin and flesh 
of a diamond snake. 
