2 MR. BELL ON THE HABITS OF AROTRONETA AQUATTCA.

at least one larger in size, has the body white or grey, with n beautiful orange-coloured band along the whole length of the back. This band is smgulated, consisting of a series of squares, placed obliquely and connected at their angles with an edging of white ; and on rach side of it are two smaller black ones similarly con- stituted ; the limbs are banded with brownish marks. The full- &Town spider is of a beautiful black ; the golden band is exchanged for an orange-red one of the same shape ; but as the successive coats are thrown off, it ceases to be marked at the thoracic end, being visible only towards the tail. The body of the female is ltirger and rounder. This spider is reputed to be venomous by the natives, who will not touch them on any account ; but how far this is really the case I am scarcely able to determine, having only met with one European, who affirmed that he had been bitten by one, and bad had an inflamed leg in consequence ; but his belief in the cause of this inflammation was founded on na- tive authority. I have hitherto onlybeen able myself' to make with them the following experiment :-I placed a lively unhurt mouse in a glass bottle with a fine Katepo, and by dint of shaking the bottle, at length induced the spider to bite the mouse in two places, first on the tail, and secondly on the paw, which latter injury the mouse resented by biting the spider and killing it. The mouse was kept supplied with air, and was found dead within eighteen hours, its body being wet, as though a quantity of urine had been discharged over it. The bottle was quite dry and clear before the spider and mouse were placed in it.

Remarks on some Habits of Argyroneta apwttica. By THOMAS BELL, Esq., Pres. L.S.

[Read November 20th, 1855.1

IN consequence of some observations which were made by Mr. Gtosse at the last Meeting of the Society, in which he stated his opinion that the Argyroneta never fills its bell with air brought from the surface, but that it becomes gradually filled with oxygen evolved from the vegetation casually going on beneath the web, I immediately obtained several specimens of the animal for the pur- pose of setting the question at rest, and the following are the results of my observations :-

No. 1. Placed in an upright cylindrical vessel of water, in which was a rootless plant of Stratiotes, on the afternoon of Nov. 14. By the morning it had constructed a very perfect oval cell filled

YR. BELL ON THE HABITS OF ARGIYBONETA AQUATICA. 3

with air, about the size of an acorn. In this it has remained stationary up to the present time.

No. 2.-Nov. 1G. In another similar vessel, also furnished with a plant of Stratiotes, I placed six Argyroneta The one now referred to began to weave its beautiful web about five o’clock in the afternoon. After much preliminary preparation, it ascended to the surface, and obtained a bubble of air, with which it imme- diately and quickly descended, and the bubble was disengaged from the body, and left in connexion with the web. As the nest was, on one side, in contact with the glass, enclosed in an angle formed by two leaves of the Sfratiotm, I could easily observe all its move- ments. Presently it ascended again and brought down another bubble which was similarly deposited. In this way no less than fourteen journeys were performed, sometimes two or three very quickly one after another, a t other times with a considerable interval between them, during which the little animal was em- ployed in extending and giving shape to the beautiful transparent bell, getting into it, pushing it out at one place, and rounding it at another, and strengthening its attachment to the supports. A t length it seemed to be satisfied with its dimensions, when it crept into it and settled itself to rest with the head downwards. The cell was pow the size and nearly the form of half an acorn cut transversely, the smaller and rounded part being uppermost.

No. 3. The only difference between the movements of this and the former was, that it was rather quicker in forming its cell. In neither vessel was there a single bubble of oxygen evolved by the plant.

The manner in which the animal possesses itself of the bubble of air is very curious, and, as far as I know, has never been ex- actly described. It ascends to the surface slowly, assisted by a thread attached to the leaf or other support below, and to the sur- face of the water. As soon as it comes near the surface, it turns with the extremity of the abdomen upwards, and exposes a portion of the body to the air for an instant ; then with a jerk it snatchee as it were a bubble of air, which is not only attached to the hairs which cover the abdomen, but is held on by the two hinder legs, which are crossed at an acute angle near their extremity ; this crossing of the legs taking place at the instant the bubble is seized. The little creature then descends more rapidly, and regains its cell, always by the same route, turns the abdomen within it, and disengages the bubble.

No. 4. Several of them, when I received them, had the hair oy 1*

4 blR. WhLLKER’S CATALOQUE O F DIPTEROUS INSECTS

the abdomen wetted, and I placed them on some blotting-paper until they were dry. On returning then1 to the water, two re- mained underneath a flouting piece of cork, and the hair being now dry retained the pellicle of air which is ordinarily observed. One of tlic two came out of the water, attached the cork to the glass, and wove a web against tlie latter, against which i t rested about a quarter of an inch above the surface of the water After remaining there about two days, it resumed its aquatic habits, and like all the others formed its winter habitation. I have now no fewer than ten which liave formed their cells, in which they are pcrfectly a t rest, aud evidently hibernating.

The general habits of this interesting unimal are well described by De Ligiiac, De Geer, Walckenaer, aiid others, and an excellent ~ds?one‘ of tlie whole observat;ona is given by the latter author, in his ‘ Histoire Naturelle des Insectes Apthres.’

Catalogue of the Dipterous Insects collected a t Singapore and Malacca by Mr. A. R. WALLACE, with Descriptions of New Species. By FRANCIS WALKER, Esq., F.L.S.

[Read January 15th, 185G.l

MR. A. It. WALLACE, so well Imown for his natural-history rc- searches in the vallcy oE the Amazons, and for the extensive and valuable collections sent hoine by him from that portion of South America, has now turned his attention to the eastern world, aiid is actively investigating the natural history of the East Indian Islands, after having spent some months on the Malay Peninsula. A large portion of Mr. Wallace’s entomological collections pass into my hands, and being desirous of making his labours scienti- fically useful, I have requested Mr. F. Walker, who has such an intimate knowledge of the insects belonging to the order D@tera, to draw up the following catalogue of the dipterous insects discovered by Mr. Wallace at Singapore and Malacca. My object in so doing is to establish a kind of starting-point for tracing hereafter, when all Rlr. Wallace’s collections shull have come to hand, the geographical distribution of the Diptera in the very interesting portion of the globe which Mr. Wallace is now investigating with such indefatigable zeal. Singqore and Malacca, at the extremity of the Miilay Pcninsulit, are well placed for carryiug out the pur- pose I haw in view, being in connexion northwarda through the

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