found on the South Coast of Devonshire. 95 



consisting of twelve joints : antenna? .four, the upper pair re- 

 markably short ; the lower extremely large, and equal in length 

 to the body; the anterior half is composed of between thirty' 

 and forty approximate articulations roughened with short spines, 

 especially on the interior sides ; these are usually deflected be- 

 neath or along the sides of the body : eyes sub-triangular, reti- 

 culated, fixed : mouth placed beneath, much produced, and 

 armed with formidable toothed forceps or jaws, similar to those 

 of the genus Lbcusta : palpi very large : arms two, not much 

 larger than the hinder legs, furnished with one serrated claw, as 

 simple in structure as those on the legs, and not capable of fold- 

 ing upon the hand as in the two last species : the legs are twelve 

 in number, the first pair immediately behind the arms are very 

 small, and usually concealed under the plates of the body, so 

 that they frequently pass unobserved ; the three posterior pairs 

 are very strong, the upper joint broad and flat; these, as well as 

 the arms, are serrated and roughened with short spines : caudal 

 fins two pair, serrated, and bifid, besides a pair of short appen- 

 dages above, arising from the extremity of the last joint of the tail. 



Length three quarters of an inch. 



Colour when alive corneous; when dried it becomes paler, and 

 by exposure to the sun gains a tinge of pink ; and the antennae 

 partake of orange yellow. It is frequently found on the sea- 

 shores, bleached white. 



This is the species which is found in such vast abundance on 

 all our sandy coasts, burrowing under the various rejectamenta 

 of the sea, devouring both animal and vegetable matter with 

 great avidity; and in its turn is the principal food of the ringed 

 plover, and other shore birds. It is one of those insects whose 

 service is most apparent in contributing to the dissolution of pu- 

 trid matter. . 



The 



