Mr. W. Thompson's Additions to the Fauna of Ireland. 239 



for considering E. aspera and it but as one species were explained, 

 he at once on examination of the specimens coincided in my opinion. 

 The reduction of these two supposed species to one, leaves E. aspera 

 the only representative of the genus Eurynome. 



3. Gebia deltura, Leach, Malac. t. 31. f. 9, 10; Bell, Brit. Crust, 

 p. 225 (part 5) ; Edw. vol. ii. p. 314. 



In the stomach of a Haddock (Gadus JEglefinus) taken off New- 

 castle (co. Down) on the 6th March 1847, 1 was interested in find- 

 ing two perfect arms of this rare fossorial species, hitherto known 

 to have been obtained only on the coast of Devonshire*. They are 

 just of the size represented by the authors quoted. The stomach of 

 the fish was with the exception of them filled with the remains of 

 Ophiura texturata. It was from the same locality that I obtained 

 the arms — and these only — of the two other fossorial genera Callia- 

 nassa and Calocaris in March 1839. The reason of these parts 

 alone of the animal being taken may perhaps be owing to their being 

 above the surface of the bank, ready to lay hold of any food within 

 their reach, while the body remains concealed, and the ground-feed- 

 ing fish seizing on them, the Crustacean sacrifices its exposed mem- 

 bers rather than give up its whole body to its assailant. 



Professor Bell remarks : — " The difference of the depth which the 

 various species of this fossorial family inhabit is very remarkable ; 

 the present species [Gebia stellatd] with Callianassa subterranea 

 being found in a sand-bank, when digging for Solenes, whilst Calo- 

 caris Macandrece was dredged from the astonishing depth of 180 

 fathoms." (Hist. Brit. Crust, p. 224.) 



The difference here noticed is interesting insofar as the facts nar- 

 rated, but can scarcely be considered characteristic of the respective 

 species. My specimens of Callianassa and Calocaris, if not taken 

 from the stomach of the same individual fish, a Platessa pola, Cuv., 

 were procured from two fishes of that species taken at the same 

 sweep of the trawl-net on the same bank at a depth of ten fathoms. 

 The Gebia was probably taken at a similar depth. 



Note. 



? Alauna rostrata, Goodsir, Edin. New Phil. Journ. vol. xxxiv. 

 p. 130. pi. 4 ? 



The occurrence of an individual of this species to me at Newcastle 

 (co. Down) in Aug. 1836 was noticed in the 'Annals,' vol. xiii. 

 p. 435, accompanied by a mark of doubt as to the species. When 

 lately looking over some Crustacea dredged from five fathoms at the 

 Skerries on the Dublin coast, in the autumn of 1845, by Mr. R. Ball 

 and Professor Edw. Forbes, I was gratified to see several specimens 

 quite similar to the one that I had myself taken. They are about 



* No observation of this kind is hazarded with respect to any species, 

 without reference having been made to the general 'Hist, des Crust.' of 

 M. Edwards. It has supplied the data with respect to continental works, 

 on which all such remarks are made in this communication. 



