132 The Irish Nahiralist. July, 



par M. Deshaj-es. Environs du Cap Matifou, pendant I'ete."^ 

 In the Eastern Mediterranean it is recorded from Morea; and, 

 according to Heller, it is unknown in the Adriatic, a shallower 

 and more recent sea. 



It was dredged during the "Talisman" voyage (1883) to 

 the South of Cape Bojador (Lat. N., 25° 39', Long. W., 18° 18'), 

 off the North-West African coast, and it has also been found 

 off the Portuguese littoral. 



As ma}' be seen from this, all the previous captures of 

 Paromola Ciivieri have been either in the Mediterranean 

 or the adjacent ports of the North Atlantic. So that its 

 known range at present is confined to the Mediterranean, 

 Lusitanian and Celtic marine provinces, as these are defined by 

 Dr. Heller.2 



The occurrence of an isolated specimen of this species in a 

 shore pool is perhaps sufficienth^ explained by the assumption 

 that it was a chance wanderer from deep water. It is just pos- 

 sible, however, that the specimen ma}' have been captured b}^ a 

 'trawler' while dredging in fairly deep water off the south- 

 west coast, and was afterwards returned to the sea at some 

 point nearer to land. The comparatively perfect condition 

 of the Cork specimen is, however, rather against the latter ex- 

 planation. 



With regard to the habits of the P. Ciivieri^ little infor- 

 mation is available. The highest definite range mentioned-'^ 

 for the species is 10 metres, but its occurrence at this slight 

 depth is possibly as exceptional as in shore pools. In the 

 Gulf of Eyons M. Paul Gourret found^ it on gravel and mud at 

 a depth ranging Irom 100 to 200 metres, while, as alread}- 

 mentioned, the " Talisman " dredged it at 640 metres on a 

 bottom of sand, mud, corals, and shells. Finall}', the dis- 

 covery during the Irish Fisheries investigations of its 

 association with the deep-water coral Lophohelia, at from 627 

 to 728 fathoms, indicates the nature of its habitat in British 

 and Irish waters. 



^ I_<ucas, Exploration scientifique de I'Algerie, Crustaces, 1849. 

 = Heller, Crust. Siidl. Europe, p. 311. 



3 Doflein, Deutsche Tiefsee-Expedition, Valdivia, 1898, 1S99, P- ^^• 

 < Gourret, Rev. Crust. Podoph. Golfe de Marseille. Musee d'Histoire 

 Naturelle de Marseille. Zool., III., 1S8S. 



National Museum, Dublin, 



