98 Proceedings. 



to speak. We find P. cuanerisis almost always in the shell 

 of Shirex erinacens, and P. Icevis in that of Turritella. 



The beautiful Galathea are of Lobster-form, flattened and 

 spiny. G. strigosa when alive is a gorgeous species, of a rich 

 warm brown, splashed with intense blue. The Galatheas 

 progress backwards through the water at a great rate by 

 means of their powerful abdominal muscles. The Porcelain 

 Crabs, PorceUana platycheles and P. longicornis, are very small, 

 the carapace seldom reaching half an inch across. They 

 cHng closely to rocks, the former, being of a dirty colour and 

 granular, selecting Algce, on which it is impossible to detect 

 it; and the latter, which is smooth and highly tinted, 

 selecting clean boulders, to which it bears the appearance of 

 being an excrescence. 



Dromia vulgaris is one of our rarest Crustacea, and its 

 habits are but httle known. Its appearance when at rest is 

 like that of an Echinoderm ; and it, moreover, is subject 

 to sponge-growth, as its habits are evidently exceedingly 

 sluggish. 



Lithodes maia, the Northern Stone Crab, is a fine crustacean 

 obtained in deep water off the Northumberland coast. It is 

 bright red in colour, and covered even to the claws with 

 powerful spines. Its pseudo-feet are developed with brushes, 

 which it uses to clean its carapace. 



In a subject so wide it is impossible to do more than 

 touch upon the most interesting points in a paper of this 

 kind, and I do not pretend myself to know more than what 

 may be considered as a mere glimpse into the life-history and 

 habits of these remarkable animals. There are, no doubt, 

 difficulties in the way of watching them in Ufe, but I 

 hope when the day arrives when large public aquaria can 

 either be supported or made to support themselves, that not 

 only naturahsts, but everybody — for everybody ought to be 

 naturalists — will be able to watch these and numerous other 

 sub-orders, and gain some knowledge regarding them ; for it 

 is certain that we know very little about marine-life of any 

 kind at the present moment. 



In the discussion which followed, the President, Lieut.-Col. 

 Godwin -Austen, and Mr. T. Cooper took part. 



