CAPRELLA LINE A HIS. 55 



pulling' themselves in an instant up to it, then stretching- 

 out their long arms in every direction, strongly reminds 

 one of the spider-monkeys of South America." * 



In 1854 Mr. P. H. Gosse sent us some minute speci- 

 mens of Caprellce which he had found in considerable 

 numbers on the rays of a small specimen of Solaster pap- 

 posa, which we have always considered as the young of 

 Caprella linearis, with which they agree in their general 

 character ; but the second segment of the pereion is not 

 longer than the first and the superior antennae are 

 scarcely longer than the inferior ; it is a remarkable 

 fact that some of the specimens, being females, are fur- 

 nished with the incubatory pouch. As these animals (of 

 which we give figures as a vignette on the next page) are 

 only one-tenth of an inch in length, we must either con- 

 clude that they are imperfectly-developed specimens of 

 C. linearis, and that they are endowed with the capability 

 of reproduction before they have attained to their adult 

 form and dimensions ; or that they are a species distinct 

 in themselves, exhibiting the character of an imperfectly - 

 developed specimen of C. linearis. 



Moreover, it is singular that they should have been 

 found in great abundance in this solitary instance, for we 

 are not aware of any having been similarly taken in any 

 other instance. 



If they be young animals we must assume them to 

 have been of a single brood ; but if so, it is a curious 

 feature in their history that the brood should remain 

 associated until the females were old enough to carry ova, 

 and that this latter circumstance should occur while the 

 animals were still so small. 



Since the above has been written, Mr. Norman has 



* Gosse's Rambles of a Naturalist in Devonshire. 



