[From the Transactions of the Connecticut Academy op Arts and Sciences. 



Vol. V, Part 1.] 



The s4\^K7]Ey3B Crustaceans of the Atlantic Coabt of North 

 >lliL!i^^cfiERiCA north of Cape Cod. By S. I. Smith. 



This paper is the result of work clone in preparing a more complete 

 account of the crustaceans of the coast of northern New England for 

 the report of the United States Commissioner of Fisheries. The 

 study of the extensive collections of crustaceans, made during the 

 past fourteen years by Professor Verrill and myself, and particularly 

 during the last seven years under the auspices of the Commission 

 for the investigation of the fisheries, promised to add so much to the 

 knowledge of the relations of the fauna of the western side of the 

 North Atlantic, that it has seemed desirable to publish as early as 

 possible the results bearing upon the geographical distribution of the 

 species. This has been long delayed, however, by the great quantity 

 of material which has each year been added to the collections, so 

 that the time at my disposal has been little more than sufficient prop- 

 erly to separate and care for the specimens themselves. In the 

 present paper I have attempted to give these results for the species 

 of stalk-eyed Malacostraca inhabiting the coast between Cape Cod 

 and northern Labrador. Only a very small portion of the species 

 composing the crustacean fauna is thus included, but it is that por- 

 tion which is best known and consequently most useful in determin- 

 ing the relations of the fauna. Although the paper has special 

 reference to the geographical distribution of the species, considerable 

 matter is introduced in regard to specific variation and specific 

 characters, and, under some of the species, to the synonymy, where it 

 seemed necessary to the proper understanding of the geographical 

 distribution or to show the propriety of the nomenclature adopted, 

 or where the species is not well-known. 



The practice among zoologists of neglecting to make clearly appar- 

 ent what parts of their writings are based on their own observations 

 and what on the works of others, is a frequent source of annoyance 

 and error. This is particularly the case in the statement of the 

 habitats of species, as often given, without the slightest indication 

 whether the occurrence of the species, in each of the regions specified, 

 is known to the author from personal observation or the examination 

 of specimens collected by others, or whether the statement is based 



