Page:VCH Lancaster 1.djvu/224

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A HISTORY OF LANCASHIRE synonym of C. prasinus (Fischer). In 1893 Mr. Thompson described a new species under the name Cyclops marinus, of which he says : ' Two specimens only, both females, were dredged in 20 fathoms, about 20 miles out from Southport Pier.'^ The name is preoccupied by C. marinus, Prestandrea, 1833, a species now transferred to the genus Euchata. Apart from the accident of preoccupation, the name chosen by Thompson is in conflict with the opinion of Dr. Giesbrecht, whom I consulted on the subject, and who at a recent date still refused to believe that any species of Cyclops hitherto described could be relied on as exclusively marine. The settlement of this point may be commended to the further attention of Lancashire naturalists. The Arpacticids, in the wider sense of the term, have been variously divided up into numerous sub-families or families, with which it would be inexpedient here to concern ourselves. Distributed over these minor divisions are the following Lancashire species : Arpacticus chelifer (O. F. Miiller) is recorded by A. Scott from the mussel beds at Piel ; Canuella perplexa (T. and A. Scott) from the mussel beds alike of Piel, of Duddon, and of Morecambe ; Longipedia minor (T. and A. Scott) from the mussel beds of Morecambe." With regard to Sunaristes paguri (Hesse) Mr. A. Scott writes : ' This rather peculiar and interesting species was obtained by washing the shells oi Buccinum inhabited by the hermit crabs, Pagurus bernhardus, collected in the trawl-nets of the steamer while working in the mouth of the Mersey estuary on the 23d of July, 1895. It seems to be a comparatively rare species, and so far as is known this is only the third time it has been found in British waters. From our present knowledge of its distribution it appears to be confined to areas having large volumes of brackish water passing over the bottom, and has not been found in pure sea-water.' Dr. T. Scott has pointed out the relationship between this genus and Longipedia and Canuella^ and recently his son has described additional species of Sunaristes from the Indian Ocean. Mr. Thompson reports several specimens of Ectinosoma normani (T. and A. Scott) as obtained by the latter in material from Barrow Channel, collected by Professor Herdman, adding that ' when fresh this species has a briUiant red spot on the lower angles of the cephalothorax, and in this respect it agrees with E. erythrops (Brady).'* E. curticorne (Boeck) is reported by A. Scott from mussel beds at Piel and Morecambe, and from stomachs of young dabs at Blackpool.^ Bradya minor (T. and A. Scott), reported from mussel beds at Morecambe, has been transferred by Sars to a new genus, Pseudobradya^ Euterpe acutifrons (Dana) from Piel, Tachidius brevicornis (O. F. Miiller) from Duddon, Idya furcata (Baird) from Piel and Morecambe, are due to the mussel beds, but as to Tachidius brevicornis, under a thirtieth of an inch long, Mr. Thompson should also be quoted. He says : ' Length, o-8omm. A brackish water species : we have taken it in quantity from material sent by Mr. Dwerryhouse from a brackish tributary of the Mersey at Hale. He adds that the broad square fifth feet of the female serve to distinguish it. In describing a new species, Idya elongata, Mr. A. Scott 1 Op. cit. vii. 188. 2 It wIU perhaps suffice to give here a general reference for the species recorded by Mr. Andrew Scott to his p.iper3m the Tr^m. Uverp. Biol. Soc. x. 127-131, 134-158 (1896), and vol. xv. 348-351 s ^„„. ^at. Hut. (Ser. 6), xx. 489 (i 897). * Trans. Liverp. Biol. Soc. x. 100. 5 Op. cit. IX. 109. 8 Cruitacea of Norway, v. 40 (1004). T Jrans. Liverp. Biol. Soc. v. ^2 {%()i). ./» f v y -f; 172