130 TRANSACTIONS, NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 



XIV. 

 JOTTINGS FROM MY NOTE-BOOK. 



BY DAVID ROBERTSON, F.L.S., F.G.S. 



TALITRUS LOCUSTA, Linn. 



[Read 31st March, 1S8.0.] 



This species is abundant all along our sandy shores, 

 near higli-water, under decomposing sea-weed, and 

 higher, above the ordinary tide-mark, where they 

 burrow to the depth of three or four inches "till 

 they find sufficient moisture . for their wants and 

 comfort." Their burrows are small, round, perpen- 

 dicular holes, about the size of a goose-quill. In some 

 places the sand is so much riddled that the holes 

 are very conspicuous. If rudely disturbed, the occu- 

 pants are seen leaping about in all directions, and it 

 takes nimble fingers to get hold of one of them. 

 When the sand is gently rubbed o(f, layer by layer, 

 with the edge of the hand, till the animals are 

 partially exposed, they lie motionless, seemingly 

 feigning death; but if tossed out, as already stated, 

 they at once bound off, endeavouring to escape, 

 which most of them generally succeed in doing. 



The belt of sand they usually occupy at high- water is 

 above the ordinary tide-mark, whereby in continuous 

 wet weather they must be exposed to a considerable 

 amount of fresh water. To test how long they could 

 live in that element, two were put into a cupful of 

 rain-water, where they swam about freely for a 

 time. By three hours they were lying on their 

 backs, but when disturbed they made efforts to 

 swim and to stand on their feet, which they only 

 did for a very short time. When taken out of the 



