THE ANNALS 



AND 



MAGAZINE OF NATURAL HISTORY 



No. 96. FEBRUARY 1845. 



IX. — Description of some Animals found amongst the Gulf-weed. 

 By Harry D. S. Goodsir, M.W.S. 



[With a Plate.] 



The animals described in the following communication are 

 chiefly Mollusca and Crustacea_, and were all found attached to 

 the Gulf- weed, Fucus natans. 



I am indebted to my friend Professor Edward Forbes of King's 

 College, London, and Mr. A. G. Melville, Assistant Demonstrator 

 of Anatomy in the University of Edinburgh, for the opportunity 

 thus afforded me of examining the creatures found in such a ha- 

 bitat. The contents of the bottle received from Prpf. E. Forbes 

 were taken between the parallels of 25° and 36° north, and in 

 about 40° west long. ; and the specimens received from Mr. Mel- 

 ville were all taken about 40° north lat. during the course of one 

 day's sailing. It will be observed that the animals from both of 

 the above districts are generically and in most instances specifi- 

 cally similar. 



Nautilograpsus minutus, Edwards. PI. VII. fig. 1. 



Inter-orbital space slightly hollowed in the mesial line, serrated 

 very minutely, the teeth being only seen with a magnifier. In- 

 ternal orbital angles rounded, external projecting forward in the 

 form of spines and very acute ; lateral edge of the carapace armed 

 with a single blunt tooth shortly behind the external orbital 

 angle. 



Description. — The whole body of a straw-yellow, with shades 

 of a reddish blue colour on the carapace ; tips of the eyes black. 



Carapace almost square, the anterior or inter-orbital space 

 projecting, the posterior part of the lateral edges contracting 

 slightly, the latero-posterior edges of considerable length, and 

 the posterior hardly so extended as the anterior. Dorsal sur- 

 face of the carapace shining, slightly convex, and with the sculp- 

 tm-ing hardly perceptible, but very delicately grooved transversely 



Ann. ^ Mag. N. Hist. Vol. xv> G 



