227 



KEPORT on the PYCNOGONIDA of the L. M. B. C. 



DISTRICT. 



By W. B. Halhed. 



This group does not appear to have hitherto engaged 

 much attention in this locality, the only previous record of 

 examples found in the Liverpool Bay being in Mr. Byerley's 

 Fauna, published in 1855, where only two species are men- 

 tioned, namely, Pycnogonum litor-ale and Nymphon gracile, 

 which latter title, as a convenient name for all long-legged 

 Pycnogonida, seems generally to have satisfied observers who 

 have lacked the time or the interest to make careful examina- 

 tions, and to mark the distinct differences which characterise 

 the various genera of this interesting group of animals. 



The L.M. B.C. dredging investigations of this first 

 season enable us to add to the brief list at least five addi- 

 tional species, to wit : — 



Phoxicliiliclium femoratum, Rathke. 



Phoxichilus spinosus, Montagu. 



Achelia echinata, Hodge. 



Achelia hispida, Hodge. 



Pallene brevirostris, Johnston. 

 and doubtless future work in the locality will still further 

 extend the number. 



As no complete detailed description has ever been given 

 of the British Pycnogonida, it is necessarily a laborious and 

 somewhat difficult matter to trace the history of the various 

 species, and identify the specimens correctly. Fortunately, 

 Dr. Hoek's '* Challenger " Report, recently published, gives 

 a list of all known species of the group, with references to 



