ISOPOD CRUSTACEA 



PART I. THE FAMILY SEROLIDAE 



By Edith M. Sheppard, m.Sc. 

 (Plate XIV; text-figs. 1-22) 



INTRODUCTION 



THE present report is based on the collections of Serolids made by the R.R.S. 

 'Discovery', the R.R.S. 'Discovery 11', the R.R.S. 'William Scoresby' and the 

 staff of the Marine Biological Station at South Georgia during the years 1925-32. Most 

 of the material was obtained from the shallow^ waters around South Georgia, the South 

 Orkneys, the South Shetlands, the South Sandwich Islands, Palmer Archipelago, and 

 the Falkland Islands, as well as off the coast of the southern part of South America and 

 in the shallow waters between the latter and the Falkland Islands. 



The present collection is undoubtedly the most complete ever made both with regard 

 to the number of species as well as to the actual number of specimens procured. Of 

 the fifteen shallow-water species (excluding the two doubtful ones, Serolis serrei, Lucas, 

 and S. plana, Dana) previously recorded from these waters, all excepting three, S. polaris, 

 Richardson, and S. laevis, Richardson, from the shores of the South Sandwich Islands, 

 and S. paradoxa, Fabricius, from Patagonian waters, have again made their appearance, 

 and to this number may be added a further seven, which are new to science. Perhaps 

 the most striking feature of the collection is the extraordinary abundance, throughout the 

 year, of the two species S. schythei, Liitken, and S. exigiia, Nordenstam, both of which 

 have been recorded from a large number of stations to the north and south of the 

 Falkland Islands, as well as in the shallow waters between the islands and the mainland. 



By kind permission of the Discovery Committee this report also contains a revised 

 account of the genus Serolis with diagnostic characters of all the known species, to- 

 gether with notes on their geographical distribution and general morphology. 



I wish to take this opportunity of thanking the Discovery Committee for entrusting 

 me with the examination of this valuable collection. I also wish to thank Dr Caiman 

 for his helpful advice, and for the facilities he has given me for the examination of the 

 specimens at the British Museum. My thanks are due also to Professor Ch. Gravier, of 

 the Museum d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, Dr P. H. Grimshaw, of the Royal Scottish 

 Museum, Edinburgh, Dr Waldo Schmitt, of the U.S. National Museum, Washington, 

 and Professor Dr von Straelen, Directeur du Musee Royal d'Histoire Naturelle de 

 Belgique, who, by the loan of specimens, have enabled me to examine all except one 

 {S. bakeri, Chilton) of the existing species of Serolis. 



Lastly, I wish to express my deep gratitude to Professor W. M. Tattersall, University 

 College, Cardiff, for his valuable advice and unfailing interest in the preparation of this 

 report, as well as for the loan of numerous papers from his valuable carcinological library. 



