I / 



/ -J 



«■ ' ^ ^ A R r * -—l^liy 



II. The Subterranean Crustacea of New Zealand: icith some general Remarks on the 

 Fauna of Caves and Wells. Bij Charles Pjuilton, M.A., B.Sc, F.L.S., Rector, 

 District High School, Fort Chalmers, New Zealand. 



Read 20th April, 1893. 



(Plates XVI.-XXIII.) 

 Contents. 



Page 



I. Introductiou 163 



II. Historical Sketch .■« 165 



III. Historj-, Distribution, and Occurrence of the New Zealand Subterranean Crustacea 180 



rV. Detailed Descriptions of the New Zealand Subterranean Crustacea 185 



Isopoda. The Genus Phreatoicus : P. assimilis, sp. nov. : P. typicug, Chilton ; Comparison 

 of the three known species of Phreatoicus ; Special points in the structure of 



Phreatoicus ; Affinities of Phreatoicus 185 



The Genus Cniref/ens : C, foniantis, Chilton 209 



Amphipoda. The Genus Cranr/onif.r : C. comj}acttis, Chilton 218 



The Genus Gammariis : G. frcKjiits, Chilton 226 



The Genus Calliopius : C, subterraneus, Chilton 233 



Summary of the more important points in Part IV 244 



V. The General Fauna of the Subterranean Waters of Canterbury 246 



VI. The Canterbury Plains and their Underground Waters 248 



VII. Origin of the Subterranean Crustacea 253 



VIII. The Special Characteristics of the Subterranean Fauna : 



Colour : Loss of Eyes ; Compensation for Loss of Eyesight ; Food ; Arrested Development ; 



Habits 259 



IX. Bearings of the Phenomena of Subterranean Life on the Theory of Descent 266 



X. Conclusion 272 



XI. Bibliography 273 



XII. Explanation of the Plates 281 



I. Introdtjctign. 



In the following paper an attempt is made to give a fuUer account than has yet been 

 published of the Blind Crustacea found in the undergrovmd waters of the Canterbury 

 Plains in the South Island of New Zealand. The existence of similar Crustacea in 

 the caves and wells and in the deep waters of lakes in Europe and North America 

 has long been known, and has attracted much attention, both because of the inherent 

 interest of the subject, and because of the bearing that the facts have on some general 

 questions of Biology connected with the Theory of Descent, particularly on the effects 

 of use and disuse, and on the influence of the environment on the animals. 



SECOND SERIES. — ZOOLOGY, VOL. VI. 22 



