Miscellaneous. 75 



this was the more noteworthy, as the later observer was ignorant of 

 the labours of his predecessor ; and it was also with interest that I 

 perceived that Dr. Peters had likewise been struck with a resemblance 

 of the same form to the trout, naming the species S. sahnoneus, and 

 describing it as trout-like (" Habitus forellenahnlich "). Now it is 

 evident, from a study of the anatomy, that these several forms are 

 very dissimilar in fundamental characters, and most of them, at least, 

 quite distantly allied. A likeness which is so ambiguous as to mis- 

 lead persons equally familiar with the external appearance of the 

 several forms, and to lead to such dissimilar results, must be of very 

 slight importance. At any rate, the affinities of the form in question 

 (Anoplopoma fimbria) with the Cataphracti (and more especially the 

 Chiridae) are evident from an examination of the external and in- 

 ternal structure ; and I am unable to appreciate the likeness which 

 others have seen to the cods, the mackerels, or the trout. 

 The synonymy of the species will now stand as follows : — 



Anoplopoma fimbria, Gill, ex Pallas. 



Gadus fimbria, Pall. Zoogr. Ross.-As. iii. p. 200, 1831. 

 Anoplopoma merlanqus, Ayres, Proc. Cal. Acad. N. S. ii. p. 27, 1859. 

 Merlucius ? [fimbria], Grd. Expl. P. R. R. viii. Fishes, p. 141, 1858. 

 Merlucius [fimbria], d. sp., Gthr. Cat. Fishes, iv. p. 344, 18G2. 

 Anoplopoma [fimbria'], Gill, Proc. Acad. N. S. Phil. 1863, p. 247. 

 Scombrocottus sahnoneus, Pet. Monatsb. K. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1872, 

 p. 569. 



— Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, April 1873. 



On the Occurrence of Ligidium agile in Belgium. 

 By M. F. Plateau. 



To the Editors of the Annals and Magazine of Natural History. 



Ghent, June 6, 1873. 



Gentlemen, — In the interesting article published in the ' Annals 

 and Magazine of Natural History' (ser. 4. vol. xi. p. 419) by the 

 Rev. A. M. Norman, and entitled " Note on the Discovery of Ligi- 

 dium agile, Persoon, in Great Britain," the author says that this 

 Crustacean has been found hitherto in England, Sweden, Denmark, 

 Prussia, Bohemia, and France. To this enumeration we must add 

 Belgium. 



In a note entitled " Materiaux pour la Faune Beige : Crustaces 

 Isopodes terrestres " * I have indicated the occurrence of Ligidium 

 agile (L. Persoonii) in Belgium. With us this little Isopod often 

 accompanies Philoscia muscorum, and occurs in the woods, under 

 moss at the water's edge. The locality where I have most frequently 

 met with it is the village of Dickel venue, near Gavre, about nine 

 miles from Ghent. 



Accept &c, 



F. Plateau. 



* Bull. Acad. Sci. Belg. 1870, 2 £ ser. torn. xxix. 



