ZOOLOGICAL NOTES 57 



backed crabs, alive, and in perfect condition. The yard is a long 

 distance from the beach there are two streets between it and the 

 sea so that the shell-fish in question must have existed in these 

 quarters for a long number of years. Prior to the construction of 

 these streets the sea washed up as far as the yard belonging to Mr. 

 Gillies. The crabs have been preserved." 



The specimens sent to me by the courtesy of Mr. Philip and 

 Mr. Bertram, associated as sub-editor and reporter respectively for 

 the " People's Journal " (Dundee), were quite ordinary forms of the 

 Common Shore-Crab (Carrinus nuznas). The dark colour of one of 

 the specimens is quite common on the beach. As Mr. Bertram 

 avouches that the " find " was quite genuine, I would suggest (a) 

 that some schoolboy or fisherman threw the crabs into the vicinity 

 of the excavation, which, probably, was not made in a day ; or (b] 

 that there may be some more or less open conduit, sewer, or drain 

 in the immediate vicinity of the excavation in Councillor Gillies's 

 yard, from which the misguided crabs may have found their way 

 into the sand. It is well known that these shore-crabs travel far, 

 burrow deeply, and burrow rapidly. While we know of cases of 

 " animal hypnosis " in the higher crustaceans, we have not the 

 slightest warrant for believing that (gill-breathing) crabs could 

 remain " for a hundred years or more " imbedded in sand " separated 

 by two streets from the sea." Both the crabs were relatively young, 

 and neither showed any external signs of age or desiccation. On 

 the whole, we suspect a practical joker. J. ARTHUR THOMSON, 

 Aberdeen. 



Orthezia eataphraeta, Shaw, in the "Forth" Area. This 

 curious insect one of the Coccids is common in this district, 

 especially on the hills, where it usually occurs among moss or under 

 moss-embedded stones. There is no need to particularise localities, 

 but I may say that I have found it on the Pentlands and other hills 

 in all three Lothians ; also on the Lomonds, the Ochils, and the 

 Callander Hills. Specimens from the tops of Carnethy (March 

 1894 and October 1904) and Scaldlaw (March 1903) both in 

 the Pentland range have been verified as to identification by Mr. 

 R. Newstead, Chester. Under the name of Orthezia signoreti this 

 insect was described by the late Dr. Buchanan White from Glen 

 Tilt ("Scot. Nat." iv. p. 161), and Mr. Newstead, in his recent 

 monograph of the Coccidae, mentions its occurrence in Ayrshire, 

 and in the Hebrides, including St. Kilda. WILLIAM EvAns, 

 Edinburgh. 



Rhynehodemus terrestris, a Land Planarian, in the Edinburgh 

 District When looking for beetles and slugs under stones, pieces 

 of wood, etc., lying in damp places, I have frequently noticed a 

 small slate-coloured Planarian worm which I recently made out to 

 be Rhynehodemus terrestris (Miill). Two specimens from the under- 



