The remarkable Crustacean, which here for the first time 

 is added to the fauna of Sweden, was discovered more than 

 hundred years ago by a highly merited dutch naturalist Mar- 

 tinus Slabber^) (1)-) who named it Oniscus arenarius and gave 

 an accurate description, accompanied by figures, which for 

 that time are excellent and fully testify its identity with the 

 amphipod described hereafter. iVlthough appreciating its nu- 

 merous peculiarities, Slabber nevertheless abstained from crea- 

 ting a new genus for its reception, and placed it in the genus 

 Oniscus L., one of the three great Linnsean genera, into which 

 the whole of the Crustaceans known at his time were distri- 



*) We give here the scanty notices aboiit him, that we have been able to 

 pick up from different quarters: 



Maetinxjs Slabber was bom in 1741, probably at Middelburg. 



In 1767 we find him elected a member of the HoUandsche Maat- 

 schappye der Wetenschappen. 'He is then called »Bailleuw en Secretaris 

 te Baarland en Bakendorp, en Secretaris te Ond elände». 



In 1769, he was a member of »Zeeuwsch Genootschap der Weten- 

 schappen te "V^iessingen». 



In 1793, keeping his above named charge, he seems to have removed 

 to the town Goes, where we find him in 1807 as »Eaad der Stadt». 

 He died in Gravenpolden in 1835, aged 94 years. All these places are 

 situated on the isle of Walcheren. His pul^lished works are : 



1) Waarneeming van den oorspronk der paarel-worm, met de daruitko- 

 mende goud-oogige Stinkvlieg. 



Verhandl. Maatsch. Haarlem, 1768. Tom X. Stuck 2, pag. 387 — 

 412, tab. 2. 



2) Waarneeming van de gevlengelde zesendertig-tengelige vogel-luis. 



Verhandl. Maatsch. Haarlem, 1768. Tom X. Stiick 2, pag. 413— 

 425. tab. 1. 



3) De excretione Vermis e dextro narium orificio. 



Verhandl. Maatsch. Haarlem, 1768. Tom X. Stnck 2, pag. 466. 



4) Waarneeming van een Oost-Indischen Zeeworm. 



Verhandl. der Zeeiiwsch Genooschap te Vlissingen, 1769. Deel I, 

 pag. 387-393 (with a plate). 



5) Natniirknndige Verlustigingen behelzende microscopise waarneemingen 

 van in- en iiitlandse Water- en Land-dieren. Haarlem 1778. 



6) Verhandeling över her opzetten van Vogelen. Amsterdam 1816. 

 ') See the chronological list of references given below pag. 5. 



