ZOOLOGICAL AND BOTANICAL ASSOCIATION. 24 1 



The Secretary read the following paper by the Rev. A. R. Hog an, 

 M.A., &c, Corresponding Member, Dublin University Zoological and 

 Botanical Association : — 



ON THE HABIT8 AND LOCALITIES OF NIPHAEGUS F0NTANU8 (rt. *.), N. KOCHI- 

 ANT78 (». «.), AND CEANGONTX ST7BTERBANET78 (n. ff. fr *.), 8PENCE 

 BATE. 



We can no longer speak of " the well shrimp' p of English naturalists. 

 There are now four species known to inhabit the country, and it is far 

 from improbable that we shall find many more. The total inattention 

 of crustaceologists to this interesting group of animals is obviously the 

 reason why the present discoveries have taken them by surprise. For 

 five years after Mr. "Westwood's capture of Niphargus aquilex at Mai- 

 denhead, in Berkshire, that is, from 1852 to 1857, nothing was heard 

 about these crustaceans in Britain ; but in the autumn of 1857 the pub- 

 lication of a figure and description of the genus and species in the 

 "Natural History Review" again drew attention to the subject. Ac- 

 cordingly, within a very short time afterwards, a young friend of mine, 

 Edwin Herbert Mullins, who had seen the figure referred to, brought 

 me a specimen which evidently belonged to the genus Niphargus. 

 This occurred at Corsham, in "Wiltshire, where I was then residing ; 

 and its capture, together with that of several others (from a pump) at the 

 same place, both gave me opportunities of observing the habits of these 

 strange subterranean animals, and led to my finding a variety of the 

 same species at Ringwood, in Hampshire, in the following year, 1858. 

 At the same time I was fortunate enough to discover a new genus of 

 the same family (Crangonyx), with one species (Subterraneus), a new 

 species of Niphargus (Kochianus), and to obtain some specimens of N. 

 aquilex. Scientific descriptions of the former have been already laid 

 before the Association ; bat it remains to me to supply an account of 

 the localities in which they were found, as well as to record somewhat 

 concerning their habits, &c. 



To speak of their habits first : we are met with a great difficulty at 

 the outset ; the Niphargi live only in pump water, which is generally 

 entirely destitute of animal life, even animalculae. On what, then, can 

 they possibly feed ? This question remains to be solved ; and I am 

 afraid I can throw no light upon it, though I strongly suspected some 

 of the Ringwood specimens of devouring their own kind, on one occa- 



