N PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 



Cancer pagurus. — Here, as all round Ireland, occurs abundantly, and 

 appears to be universal — in fact, no district is without it. 



Carcinus mcenas. — Also abundant, varying much in colour, espe- 

 cially the young specimens which at Valentia Island are generally of 

 dark olives and grays, I did not meet any of the light-coloured varieties 

 which are common in the Dublin rock-pools. The amount of arcuation 

 of the front varies much in some of my specimens. This species appears 

 as widely distributed as the last. 



Portunus puber. — Very abundant, littoral and laminarian. The 

 Valentia specimens are much more convex than Dublin coast specimens, 

 which are, many of them, nearly quite flat. The young of this species, 

 as well as those of the next two, might be easily confounded with those 

 of Carcinus mcenas, the only difference at first sight being a sparse pu- 

 bescence. The young specimens of this species are, many of them, most 

 beautiful in their colours : patches of rose-pink adorning the branchial 

 region, and a stripe of the same colour running down the median line. 

 The frontal teeth in young specimens appear as pearly granulations only. 



Distribution. — Bangor, Co. Down (0. C), Dublin, Youghal, Valentia, 

 Lahinch, Tory Island (W.T). 



Portunus corrugatus. — Rare ; small specimens occur in pools left in 

 the sands and among Zostera marina at Ringlass Point. It appears to 

 be generally distributed around Ireland, though there is no certain re- 

 cord of its having been found on the south coast. It is omitted in the 

 Cork Cuvierian Society's list. J. V. Thompson's specimens, marked 

 P. corrugatus, are uncorrectly named ; as it occurs in the Mediterranean 

 it may be a southern species, attaining its extreme limit in Dublin Bay, 

 but, more probably, further research will establish it around Ireland. 

 At present, the following comprises the districts in which it has been 

 found: — Larne (O.C.), Dublin Bay (R.B.), and also my own collect- 

 ing, Valentia Island, and the west coast generally, to Birterbie Bay 

 (W.M'C.). 



Portunus arcuatus.* — Specimens occurred in the same locality as the 

 last ; this species is a most interesting example of representative form, 

 copying closely the outline of Portunus integrifrons of the Indian 



of Wexford, by Doran, some years since, I had the pleasure of detecting a small spe- 

 cimen of this species — thus confirming its southern range. Although this collection 

 includes some dozen specimens, which I carefully examined, I could not find another 

 example of this species. These specimens, Dr. Ball informed me at the time, had 

 never been critically examined before. 



* Portunus carcinoides (Mihi) — Along with the above species three specimens of 

 a Portunus occurred, which, though neighbouring to P. corrugatus, seem to belong to 

 some other species. I have, therefore, ventured to describe it provisionally, under the 

 name of P. carcinoides (from its resemblance to Carcinus mcenas), as follows : — 



Carapace smooth, without raised ridges, regions marked out by rounded promi- 

 nences only, sparsely hirsute. Front three-lobed, middle lobe largest, edges of lobes 

 entire. Antero-lateraL margin of carapace five-toothed. First pair of legs equal, surface 

 nearly smooth, hirsute; two flattened, triangular teeth at anterior superior angles 

 of wrist; hand with two well-marked carinas on the upper sides, the inner terminating 



