Letter and referee's reports by William Benjamin Carpenter, on a paper 'Observations on the respiratory movements of insects' by the late William Frederick Barlow; and on a paper 'On the development of striated muscular fibre in mammalia' by William Scovell Savory First report: Finds it hard to recommend for publication in the 'Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, due to the deceased nature of the writer, and the seemingly incomplete, fragmentary nature and low importance of the paper. If the writer had been living, the referee would not have recommended publication. However, another paper, by George Newport, was published posthumously, justifying a similar course this time, despite Mr. Newport's paper being the last in an important series. The referee believes many papers of superior quality have been turned down for publication, so leaves it up to the Committee to determine if the circumstances of this case warrant a departure from the usual course. Second report: Recommended for publication in the 'Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society'. Subject: Zoology, Physiology [Both published in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society] 28 March 1855