124 



CONNECTICUT GEOL. AND NAT. HIST. SURVEY. [Bull. 



joint ver>' broad, with anterior margin strongly convex and pro- 

 vided with short setse; propodus oblong, with anterior margin 

 slightly concave and shorter than posterior one, distal end 

 rounded ; very weakly chelate ; dactyl rudimentary. Second perei- 

 opods shorter than first; third pair very short and with basal 

 joint nferly circular; fourth and fifth pairs short and stout. 



First uropods extending slightly beyond second, with rami 

 subequal in length to each other and to peduncle; second pair 

 with rami longer than peduncle and with inner ramus considerably 

 longer than outer ; terminal uropods with single ramus as long as 

 peduncle but much narrower. Telson triangular, fleshy, emar- 

 ginate. 



Color grayish or sand-colored. Antennae pinkish or red at 

 base, flagellum blue. 



Length 20 mm. 



Distribution: Cape Cod to New Jersey; New Haven, Con- 

 necticut. 



This species is usually quite abundant on sandy beaches at or 

 above high-water mark where the animals burrow beneath the 

 surface in order to reach moist sand. The species is nocturnal 

 in its habits and in the daytime the individuals remain quiet in 

 their burrows and their presence is indicated only by small holes 

 in the sand. In the night they run about over the seaweed that 

 has recently been washed ashore and which furnishes their prin- 

 cipal food. The species is strongly attracted by a light and may 

 be gathered in large numbers simply by placing a lighted lantern 

 in the middle of a sheet spread on the beach where they are 

 known to be. When dug out of the sand in the day, Talorchcstia 

 is rather sluggish and may feign death, but when aroused it 

 makes a few leaps and if it alights on loose sand it remains quiet 

 a moment and then very quickly begins to burrow. 



Talorchestia is capable of swimming rapidly when driven out 

 of its burrows by a particularly high tide. 



Miss Smallwood in Cold Spring Harbor Monographs No. i, 

 1903, has described the habits and variations of the species quite 

 fully. 



Specimens bearing eggs have been found at Woods Hole in 

 July and August. 



