Studies in Laguna Beach Isopoda, II 



BLANCHE E. STAFFORD, M.S. 



Nearly everyone who frequents the seashore and is half alive 

 to the many opportunities which the water, rocks and sand offer 

 in a study of the manifestations of life which they can reveal, 

 has become acquainted with the form and habits of such crus- 

 taceans as the lobsters, crabs and shrimps. There are very few, 

 also, who do not know the livel.v little sand-fleas which pojiulate 

 so thickly the sandy beach. Not many realize, however, that 

 these latter are relations of the big lobster and crab, as they 

 are, and that they are of myriad forms and habits; that they 

 live not alone in the sand, but in the shallow pools, under rocks, 

 on the sea mosses and in the deep waters. But still less do they 

 know of the Isopoda, the near neighbors of the sand fleas, or 

 Amphipoda. It is with certain Isopoda, relatives of the lobster 

 and crab and sand-flea, that this paper deals. The reason we 

 know so little, as casual observers, of these little creatures is 

 that they are very secretive and love to hide themselves in 

 obscure places ; their characteristic manner of crawling, instead 

 of hopping as do the Amphipoda, makes them less conspicuous 

 than the latter. But they are in reality very numerous and 

 most interesting in the variety of forms they exhibit. To know 

 them one has only to catch them at the proper time and place 

 and to ferret them out of their retreats. Frequent the beach 

 at a time when the tide is fast advancing and you will see along 

 the line left by the receding water whole hosts of these little 

 crawlers, scurrying out of their holes for the high and dry 

 sands. Go in the very early morning when the tide is at 

 its lowest mark to the mossy rocks which lie uncovered then. 

 As you turn them over one by one you will find many inter- 

 esting tilings, among them numbers of amphipods that slide 

 around on their sides, and a great plenty of very active 

 isopods. You may gather some of the moss on the rocks and 

 with the help of a hand lens find that it is peopled with minuter 

 forms which you cannot see without this careful scrutiny. And 



