ZOOLOGY. 603 



low-water species, and are dark brown." Professor Smith, from these 

 dnta, concludes that, '-however strong may be the arguments of the 

 physicists against the possibility of any light penetrating the depths 

 from which these animals come, the color and strength of their eyes, as 

 compared with blind cave-dwelling species, show conclusively that the 

 depth beneath 2,000 fathoms of sea-water is very different from that 

 of ordinary caverns. While it may be possible that this modification 

 of the darkness of the ocean abysses is due to phosphorescence of the 

 animals themselves, it does not seem ])robable that it is wholly dug to 

 this cause." 



Another feature characteristic of the deep-sea crustaceans is the large 

 size of the eggs, which becomes a very marked feature in many of the 

 deep water decapods. The largest crustacean eggs known to Professor 

 Smith are those of " Parapasiphaesii Icatifrons, a slender shrimp, less than 

 three inches long, taken between 1,0()0 and 3,000 fathoms. Alcoholic 

 specimensof these eggs are fully 4 or 5 millimeters in shorter and longer 

 diameter, fidly ten times the volume of the eggs of Pasiphae tarda from 

 100 to 2U0 fathoms, more than three hundred and fifty times the volume 

 of those of a larger shallow-water Fahvnion^ and each one more than a 

 hundredth of the volume of the largest indi\i<lual of the species." Pro- 

 fessor Smith concludes that "from the peculiar environment of deep- 

 water species, it seems probable that many of them ])ass through an 

 abbreviated metamorphosis within tlie idgg, like many fresh water and 

 terrestrial species, and these large eggs are apparently adapted to pro- 

 ducing young of large size, in an advanced stage of development, and 

 specially fitted to live under conditions similar to those environing the 

 adults." 



These conclusions of Professor Smith appear to be highly probable, 

 and are consonant with the facts observed in fishes. In those forms of 

 the class which do not take any care of their eggs, the number of eggs 

 is extremely large, while in those which guard the eggs or young, they 

 are very much reduced in number but increased in size. {Am. Jour. Sc:^ 

 (3), V. 28, pp. 53-50.) 



Arachnids. 



An ancient Scorpion. — The oldest of the scorpions until lately known 

 were inhabitants of the earth in the Carboniferous epoch. Two of the 

 four described types were tlie results of American investigations; but 

 during the past year several exam4)les of a species were obtained from 

 Upper Silurian rocks in Europe. One specimen was found by Prof. Gus- 

 tav Liudstrom, in the Swedish island of Gothland. It was in a good con- 

 dition of preservation and showed the "chitinous brown or yellowish 

 brown cuticle, very thin, con)pressed and corrugated by the pressure of 

 the sui)eri)Osed layers." The dilierent segments, " the ceplialothorax, 

 the abdomen, with seven dorsal laniinte, and the tail, eonsistingof six seg- 

 ments or rings, the last narrowing and sloping into the venomous dart," 



