194 Mr. R. Templeton's Descriptions of 



through vessels; which traverse the plates principally in a longitudi- 

 nal direction. Of the remaining segments of the body the fifth was 

 by far the largest and had several clusters of the little processes no- 

 ticed above ; and to its distal extremity was attached a leg com- 

 posed of five hairy joints, the last having a strong hooked claw. The 

 next segment was smaller, but with a much larger leg, and the last 

 smallest of all, and with by far the largest pair of legs, and a little 

 subtriangular process placed between and above their attachment. 



This species of Caprella is found in considerable numbers among 

 the marine plants at Mauritius ; it is about -^th of an inch long, and 

 moves with considerable velocity through the water. It is not vo- 

 racious, never follows any of the smaller Crustacea to seize on them, 

 but contentedly devours the very minute ones which chance throws 

 in its way. The specimens vary a little in the appearance of the 

 joints. 



Fig. 7. a, Animal magnified. 



h, Part of the second and remaining joints of tlie superior antennae. 



c, Last joint of the inferior antennae. 



d, Second leg. 



e, Second joint of that leg seen obliquely. 



/, Ovary. / 1, Anterior part of the third joint. /2, Fourth joint. The 

 arrow shows the direction of the current of blood. 



g, The young ; the joints equally numerous as in the adult, but propor- 

 tionally shorter and thicker. 



h. The fimbriated margin of one of the plates seen from below. 



Sapphirina (Thompson) fulgens. Plate XXI. fig. 8. 



(Syn. Oniscus fulgens, TUesius, Neue Ann. Wetterausch. i. p. 10. 

 pi. 213. fig. 24. Sapphirina Indicator, Thomps. Zool. Researches, 

 pi. 8. fig. 2.) 



Minute, hyaline, but usually returning a most beautiful ultra- 

 marine blue tint, or transmitting the supplementary colour; ovate. 

 Head large ; eyes two, central, brick-coloured, with a darker middle; 

 antennae two, spiny, triarticulate (?), small, the last joint alone pro- 

 jecting beyond the head. Body composed of eight segments, the 

 most anterior as broad as the head, from thence gradually diminishing 

 in extent as they approach the posterior extremity of the animal ; 

 last ring arched, furnished with a small hairy scale or appendix on 

 each side ; fin-legs numerous. 



This little animal moves very slowly through the water, having to 

 depend entirely on the fin-legs for its progress ; but the brilliancy of 

 its tints makes it an object of great attraction, and leads the observer 

 to suppose its size much greater than it really is ; at a depth of five 

 or six feet it seems as large as a shilling, and still larger at night. 



