70 
pair of thoracic claws, The stomach was very short, and to it belonged 
the digestive coeca of Milne Edwards ; they were ten in number ; the 
first two penetrated into the foot jaws and the other eight into the 
legs, extending to the last joint but one. After the cceca were given 
off, the digestive tube narrowed and entered the intestine which 
- reached to the cloaca. When the cosca were distended by fluid, we 
could see at each joint an elongated enlargement and corresponding 
contraction. The cceca were composed of a slender transparent mem- 
brane, and were full of a light yellow transparent granular substance. 
The portion of the digestive tube between the zesophagus and the 
intestine was free and floated in a cavity or lacuna formed by the walls 
of the thorax, and extended into the feet as far as the termination of 
the coecum. The lacuna was full of clear fluid, in which could be 
distinguished a number of transparent irregular corpuscles, and it was 
agitated incessantly by irregular movements, and to them all the 
circulation was limited, The heart and vessels were all represented by 
the coecum, and the fluid within it was the blood. No organs of 
respiration existed, this function being altogether cutaneous,---as had 
been remarked, they carried their stomachs in their legs. 
Such was a brief introduction to two members of a very interesting 
family, which numbered many more of great interest ; but his careful 
observation had been devoted to these only. Dr. Humby first drew 
his attention to the interest attaching to the study of Caprella and 
Amathea, and to him he was indebted for all that was good in these 
introductory remarks, which were almost verbatim notes of a paper 
read by Dr. Humby before the Microscopical Club in 1864. He ought 
to mention that the female Caprella was shorter than the male, and 
had a peculiar sac, in which she held her eggs until mature. Last 
year he found both by hundreds in the pools among the debris of sea 
weeds. The circulation was well seen in the appendages of amathea, 
which seemed to occupy the place of legs. Mr. Robertson had left 
with him a bottle containing some minute crustaceans, but he had 
not had time to examine them. 
A discussion followed the reading of the paper, when it was 
proposed that the subject be adjourned till the next meeting, and 
members were advised to hunt for minute crustaceans, and also to use 
the simple tow-net for surface fishing. 
After a vote of thanks to Mr. Hennah, the meeting became a. 
