Prof. K. Ellsworth Call and Mr. Arthur F. Gray are now engaged upon a Monograph of North American Unionide, and desire to make their work complete as regards synonomy. For this purpose they desire shells from all parts of the United States, Mexico and Canada, for purposes of comparison. The shells of the Complanatus group are now desired. Liberal exchanges will be given, or shells (typical) purchased. Parties collecting specimens with soft parts, please address Prof. K. Ellsworth Call, Normal and Scientific School, Dexter, Iowa, or Arthur F. Gray, Danversport, Mass. Information with regard to peculiar forms and interesting localities will be duly acknowledged. Where possible, preserve the animal.

The Scientific American for Dec. 27th, contains an article by D. C. Beard, who accounts for the sea-serpent by supposing it to be the gigantic squid which are known to inhabit the coasts of New Foundland and the high seas. We are not sure but that this is a plausible explanation, and expressed seven or eight years ago, in a communication to the Essex Institute of Salem, that the appearances referred to the "sea serpent" were, perhaps, occasioned by wounded or tired squid of colossal size, such as are known to exist in the oceans in both hemispheres. The barrel-shaped head, large eyes and trailing, undulating body, attributed to the seaserpent" can be explained as depicted in the Scientific American.A. S. Packard, Fr.

66

-Second Session of the Chesapeake Zoological Laboratory.A brief report of the work done in this Laboratory has appeared, from which we learn that twelve were present. Dr. Clarke investigated the Hydroids, Prof. Brige the development of two species of crabs, Miss Munn the development of the Ctenophora, Mr. Wilson verified the observations of previous writers in regard to the change of Actinotrocha into Phoronis, while Dr. Brooks studied the development of the squid and oyster and ascertained the existence of a rudimentary velum in the Cephalopoda. A brief abstract of his studies on the oyster has already appeared in the columns of the American Journal of Science and arts.-J. S. K.

-The report of the curator of the Harvard University Museum of Zoology, where geology is also taught, shows that facilities are extended to those desirous of studying lithology. The instruction given by Mr. M. E. Wadsworth during the past year, consisted of lectures upon the macroscopic and microscopic characters of the rocks and their constituent minerals, and also of field and laboratory work. Besides the study of the laboratory collections, each student had assigned to him a separate district, which he was to map, studying the characters and relations of the rocks, and collecting the necessary specimens. Of the rocks thus collected, the student was required to make thin sections and to examine them microscopically, writing a thesis upon the whole work. It was intended that the course should be sufficiently thorough to fit the student for practical field and laboratory research.

Professor Geikie opened his course of lectures to his class in the University of Edinburgh, November 10th, with a very interesting account of his recent explorations in our Western Territories, a full summary of which appears in Nature of November 20th. He described his visit to the Yellowstone park, the Uinta mountains and other portions. His remarks on the evidences of glaciation and the superficial deposits of the West were excellent. He is now preparing an elaborate paper on the glacial phenomena which he observed, which he will offer for publication to some society or journal in this country.

-The committee of the Philadelphia Park Commission, appointed for the purpose, recently held a conference with the committee of the Permanent Exhibition Company. The former, after consideration, resolved to recommend to the commission that the order for the removal of the Permanent Exposition be revoked, on condition that the Permanent Exposition Company raise the sum of $100,000 as a working capital, and agree to conform to the terms of their lease. It is to be hoped that the commission will act on the report of the committee, and give the Permanent Exposition the opportunity to show what it can become.

- Biologia Centrali-Americana. Messrs. Dulau and Co. have commenced a splendid work under the above title, on the animals and plants of Mexico and Central America. It is edited by Messrs. F. D. Godman and Osbert Salvin, who have been collecting their materials for the past twenty-two years. It is to be issued in parts, sixty of zoology and twenty of botany, each consisting of about ninety-six pages of letter press, with numerous plates, many colored by hand. The colored plates issued with the first zoological part are said to be of remarkable beauty, delicacy and truthfulness to nature.

Among the names of recently deceased scientists occur the names of Dr. F. Chapuis, the well known Belgian entomologist, who died at Verviers, Sept. 20th; the dipterist C. Rondani, who died at Parma, Sept. 18; and T. Chapman, who died at Burghill, Hereford, Aug. 27. October 17, A. H. Garrod, well known for his papers on the comparative anatomy of birds and mammals, died in London. He was a naturalist of much promise. The death of the French author, Jean Charles Chenu, has lately been reported.

— Prof. J. D. Dana is about to issue a new edition of his very valuable Manual of Geology. This edition will be greatly improved and enlarged and the whole subject brought up abreast of the present progress of the science. This work has occupied the greater portion of his time for several months.

- The Royal Museum of Leiden, as reported by Dr. H. Schlegel, the Director, contains, not reckoning duplicates, 7900 mammals, 50,000 birds, 2900 skeletons, and 4300 skulls. It has one collector in Madagascar and two in West Africa.

152 Proc. of Sci. Socs, and Selected Articles in Sci. Serials. [Feb., '80.

PROCEEDINGS OF SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES.

NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, Dec. 15.- Mr. Isaac N. Merritt read a description of the remarkable newly-discoved Luray caverns, Page county, Virginia (with illustrative specimens).

Jan. 5.-Prof. H. C Bolton remarked on the application of organic acids to the examination of minerals (second paper).

BOSTON SOCIETY OF NATURAL HISTORY, Dec. 17, 1879.-Mr. F. W. Putnam remarked on Conventionalism in Ancient American Art, illustrated by specimens of pottery from the Peabody Museum of American Archæology and Ethnology.

Jan. 7.-Mr. J. S. Diller read a paper on the Felsites and their associated rocks north of Boston. Mr. W. O. Crosby remarked on distorted pebbles in conglomerates, and Mr. F. W. Putnam read a short account of the largest mound in the United States.

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SELECTED ARTICLES IN SCIENTIFIC SERIALS.

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SCIENCE, Jan. 1880.-New forms of fossil Crustaceans from the Upper Devonian rocks of Ohio, by R. P. Whitfield (describes certain Devonian Phyllocarida under the name of Echinocaris (new genus), and a Devonian Decapod Crustacean with the name of Palæopalamon newberryi, this being the oldest genuine Decapod Crustacean yet known). New characters of Mosasauroid Reptiles, by O. C. Marsh.

SIEBOLD'S UND KÖLLIKER'S ZEITSCHRIFT FÜR WISSENSCHAFTLICHE ZOOLOGIE, December 12.-Studies on the organization and development of the Chalinid Sponges, by C. Keller. Structures of the Læmipoda, by G. Haller. On the morphology of the pelvic and shoulder-girdles of the bony fishes, by Olga Metschnikoff. On some octoradiate silicious sponges, and on the development of their buds, by E. Selenka.

JENAISCHE ZEITSCHRIFT FÜR NATURWISSENSCHAFT, Nov. 30, 1879.-O. and R. Hertwig continue their beautiful studies on the anatomy and histology of the Actiniæ.

THE GEOLOGICAL MAGAZINE, Dec. 1879.-On the Parallel Roads of Glen Roy, by J. R. Dakyns.

JOURNAL OF THE QUECKETT MICROSCOPICAL CLUB, Nov. 1879. -On a method of resolving diatom tests, by A. Schulze. On the anatomy of Actinia mesembryanthemum, by F. A. Bedwell. On staining sections of animal tissues, by J. W. Groves (a very useful paper). On some improvements in microscopical turntables, by C. S. Rolfe.

THE

THE PROBOSCIS OF THE HOUSE-FLY.

BY PROF. G. MACLOSKIE, LL.D.

HE common house-fly of Europe (Musca domestica L.) probably includes the American as well as the old-world forms.1 Its proboscis has attracted much attention and been the subject of

FIG. 1, A-F-A, right side view; B, dorsal view of proboscis of Musca domestica; C, semi-tubes of its false trachea; D, two of the false trachea with wrinkled membrane between; E, a tooth; F, arrangement of teeth between roots of false tracheæ. In A and B, I represents the tip; o, the operculum; p, the palps; ƒ, the fulcrum; m, the mentum.

much misapprehension. I have recently been fortunate enough to find out several important points about the mechanism of this organ and the homologies of its parts.

1 Harris had cast a doubt on this and given the American forms the title M. harpyia, in remembrance of his disgust at "these filthy dungbred creatures." Prof. A. S. Packard, Jr., has established their claim to a place in the Linnæan species, M. domestica.

a

Its Structure. The proboscis consists of three divisions-base, mid segment and tip. The base, or proximal division, contains: 1. A large framework of hard dark-colored chitin (ƒ in Fig. 1, A and B, represented in the margin as spread out). This has been termed the pharynx, or fulcrum, by Lowne.1 In the natural position this fulcrum is a narrow box, open at both ends, and sending proC cesses backwards and forwards. The distal part of its roof is left open so as to receive the mid segment

FIG. 2.-The fulcrum spread out, showing its lower (ventral) plate with curved margins, its in flexion. One of Lowne's distal (a) and subdistal (6) processes, its wings terms for it (pharynx) is (c) which arch over its chamber and meet above,

and its proximal processes (d). It terminates incorrect; it is rather a distally in a small nodule.

case surrounding the phar

ynx. I shall refer to it by the name fulcrum.

2. Two palps ( in Fig. 1, A and B) not jointed, but borne on a weak cross-piece of chitin. (The blow-fly has stronger supporting bars, and palps longer and more slender.)

3. A transparent funnel-shaped sheath widening towards the head, surrounds the basal division. This membrane consists of chitin, but is quite soft and movable, like the membrane of the trachea or the web of the wings of insects. It is directly continuous with the walls of the head, and it extends forward to enclose the whole proboscis and to form the walls of the lips. It is open above so as to allow free motion to some of the hard parts.

The mid segment folds on the basal segment by an elbow joint. On the under side of the mid segment is the mentum, or chin piece (m in Fig. 1A), truncated behind, narrowing and bifurcated in front, not articulated to any hard supporting part, but fixed in the membraneous sheath which holds it in its place.

Uppermost in the mid segment is the operculum of Lowne (o in Fig. 1 A, B and Fig. 3). This is a semi-tube, slit beneath, pointed in front, and sending backwards two long processes which I shall call "the great tendons."

1 "The Anatomy and Physiology of the Blow-fly," by B. T. Lowne, Lond. 1870.