80 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [1888^ 



Clrolana feasting on the Edible Crab. — Prof. Leidy stated that 

 on last Saturday, having occasion to go to Beach Haven, N. J. dur- 

 ing a leisure half hour stroll along shore, he noticed, here aud there 

 a dead crab, Callinedes hastatus, h'ing on the sand, near the last 

 high tide mark. The crabs observed happened to be all females and 

 they appeared to have died recently as some were quite fresh and; 

 showed no signs of decomposition. Others, broken open by I'emov- 

 ing the carapace, were found to have the l)ody cavity swarming with 

 a living isopod, the Clrolana concharum, which had preyed upon the 

 organs and were variously colored by the food with which they were 

 gorged. From a single crab there were taken 108 of the Cirolana 

 ranging from 15 to 22 mm. in length by 5 to 7 mm. in breadth. 



The isopod is grayish translucent above and whitish ti-anslucent 

 beneath, aud centrally variously colored, brown, black, red or yellow, 

 from the food contents. The dorsal plates are minutely dotted, black 

 or brown, in bands. The eyes are triangular with rounded angles,. 

 and black. The antennae are nearly double the length of the anten- 

 nules. The mandibles are furnished with a strong, brown, tricuspid 

 molar. The caudal plate or telson is triangular with a blunt, slightly 

 emarginate apex and with a pair of spines each side of tlie latter. 

 The isopod has been observed by Stimpson at Charleston, S. C. and 

 by Harger at Vineyard Sound, Mass., l)ut has not previously been 

 reported from the coast of New Jersey. Three isolated specimens 

 of the same were picked up on the shore of Beach Haven, the last 

 summer. 



On Bopyrus palaemonetlcola. — Prof. Leidy also presented numer- 

 ous specimens of the prawn, Palaemonetes vulgaris, infested with the- 

 parasite, Bopyrus palaemonetlcola, obtained at Beach Haven, N. J. 

 From about two quarts of the prawn, caught for fish-bait, upwards 

 of fifty contained the Bopyrus. 



February 28. , 



The President, Dr. Leidy, in the chair. 



Twenty-five persons present. 



The death of James S. Mason, a member, was announced. 



Note on Lepas faseicularis. — Prof. Leidy remarked that while- 

 stopping at Beach Haven, N. J., the last summer he had observed 

 that from time to time the debris thrown on shore would differ accord- 

 ing to the direction of the wind. On one occasion a strong wind from 

 the north cast up a considerable quantity of material consisting of frag- 

 ments of wood, grass, fucus, etc., to most of Avhich was attached a pro- 

 fusion of goose-barnacles, Lepas faseicularis. Among the materials 

 observed were apples and cranberries, which also liad bundles of 

 barnacles attached, and as the fruit was not decomposed, it appar- 



