80 TRANSACTIONS, NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 
AMPHITHOE PODOCEROIDES, Rathke, AND PopocERUS PULCHELLUS, 
Milne Edwards. 
[Read 27th March, 1893.] 
Amphithoe podoceroides has long been known to me to inhabit 
tubes under stones and in the air-vessels of Fucus nodosus. There 
are generally two (a male and a female) in each tube under the 
stones, as well as in the air-vessels. The space occupied by the 
tube in the air-vessel is short, and has much of the appearance of 
a nest, being completely lined with a glutinous membrane. I 
have never found the young in these nest-cavities, but most likely 
they may occur there at some season of the year, where they can 
be under the protection of their parents, and remain well-sheltered 
from their enemies. That the amphipods do use these enclosures 
for shelter is evident from their unwillingness to leave their con- 
cealment when means are used to remove them ; and when the 
irritation is withdrawn while they are half-out, they immediately 
dart back again. They even do so, if not greatly alarmed, when 
wholly outside the tube. 
Lately I had an opportunity of examining some newly-gathered 
fronds of Laminaria bulbosa, which were brought under my notice 
by Mr. George Brebner, who is at present engaged at the Millport 
Marine Station in investigating the Alge of the Firth of Clyde. 
On examining some abrasions on the stalks of the plant, I found 
that most of them contained the amphipod Amphithoe podoceroides, 
while others contained Podocerus pulchellus, the former species, 
however, being much more frequent. The hollows were sunk in the 
stalk to a depth corresponding with the thickness of the animals 
themselves when lying on their side. The excavations, which were 
mostly longer and sometimes broader than the animals, could not 
have afforded the latter a protection from their enemies, as they 
were quite exposed, being nearly level with the surface of the 
stalk, and easily seen. I have therefore no doubt that they were 
using the succulent plant as food. If such be the case, it may 
explain the irregular cutting of the air-vessels of Fucus nodosus 
inhabited by Amphithoe podoceroides, and most convenient it 
