SUBTERRANEAN AJMPHIPOD STYGONECTES 7 



tea strainer and from there the amphipods were picked up on a camel's 

 hairbrush and transferred to 70 percent ethyl alcohol for preserva- 

 tion. In seeps and springs amphipods were often found under dead 

 leaves, and in this instance the syringe was not necessary since 

 material could be transferred by brush directly to alcohol. A separate, 

 labelled vial was used for each locaUty, and field data were recorded 

 in a note book for each collection. Data were recorded on all sites 

 visited, whether material was obtained from them or not. 



Approximately 75 percent of the other collections examined during 

 the course of this study were borrowed from the United States National 

 Museum and from the personal collection of Mr. Leslie Hubricht. 

 A large series of samples were also examined from collections made and 

 donated by the Texas Speleological Survey. In addition, a small 

 amount of material was donated for study by speleologists in New 

 York, Arkansas, and Maryland. 



In the laboratory, collections were initially separated into generic 

 groups with the aid of a dissecting microscope. Beginning in the 

 summer of 1964 and continuing, whenever time permitted, throughout 

 the remainder of that year and well into 1965, collections from all 

 sources pertaining to Stygonectes were exammed critically and in some 

 instances compared with type specimens in the United States National 

 Museum. Material was either assigned to species already described 

 or, if found to be undescribed, to new species groups. With most 

 species, routine determination could be made with the aid of a dissect- 

 ing microscope only. In some instances, however, and generally with 

 smaller sized species, final determination could not be made without 

 recourse to the higher magnification of a compound microscope. De- 

 termination of material either to described or undescribed species 

 groups was completed by the fall of 1965. Approximately 300 vials of 

 material were examined during the course of this investigation, and 

 data on each collection were entered on a separate index card and 

 placed in a permanent file. 



Specimens could be studied under the dissectmg microscope without 

 previous preparation, but for additional study under the compound 

 microscope, preparation of slide-mounted appendages was necessary. 

 Two different methods for making shde mounts are currently used by 

 amphipodologists. One method consists of making temporary slide 

 mounts by removing pertinent appendages and mounting them in 

 glycerin or lactic acid. This method has the advantage of allowmg the 

 investigator a great deal of flexibility in manipulating appendages for 

 observation in different planes. Its major disadvantage, however, 

 is that appendages must be returned to a microvial for permanent 

 storage, and if futm-e examination is necessary (as it often is) the 

 appendages must be removed and remounted, thus increasing the risk 



