EKESHWA.TER CRUSTACEA OF TASMANIA. 65 



high elevations. Among the weeds the Copepod Brunella tasmanica (PL 18. fig. 6), 

 representing a new genus of the Diaptornidoe, was very abundant. This genus was not 

 met with elsewhere. 



Small Ponds SfC round Hobart. — As was to be expected, the Entomostraca from the 

 small ponds and puddles did not yield anything of particular interest, some of the 

 species being identical with Australian forms, while all the genera, except Boeckella 

 are of world-wide distribution. The large Boeckella robusta was common in small ponds 

 round Hobart. In a very small rivulet at Huntingfields, at sea-level, I again met with 

 Phreatoicus anstralis and a Neonipliargus, N. exigv/us, sp. n. (PL 14. Ass. 1-12). 



Lake Dulverton really belongs to this category, as, although it is of a large size, it 

 is entirely overgrown with weed. It was found to harbour only those Entomostraca, 

 such as Alonella, Macrothrix, Cyclops, &c, characteristic of small weedy ponds. 

 It had besides a Boeckella, B. insignis (PL 17. fig. 4), and the widely distributed 

 Chiltonia australis. It may be mentioned here that the Prawn Xiphocaris compressa 

 is found all over Tasmania in streams and lakes where the water is cloudy and there 

 is a great deal of weed, and the same is true of Chiltonia australis. The only Phyllopod 

 obtained was the common Lepidurus viridis. 



2. The North Coast. 



In this district all the streams and rivers tend to be rather discoloured and there are 

 no extensive lakes. The rivers are characterised by certain fish which are entirely 

 absent from the rivers of the south, east, or centre of the island. These are the Black- 

 fish {Gadopjsis marmoratus), the Cucumber Herring (Prototroctes marcena), and the 

 Ereshwater Elathead (Aphritis). 



The Anaspidacea appear to be entirely absent from this region and also the genus 

 Phreatoicus. I also failed to find any Neoniphargus. Gammarus antipodeus (PL 14. 

 figs. 17-22) was found in a little limestone stream (Mole Creek) near Chudleigh. The 

 small Crayfish Astacopsis tasmanicus appears to be entirely absent, its place being taken 

 by the gigantic A. franklinii, which may scale 8 or 9 lbs. This huge species is found 

 in the rivers and even in the smallest rivulets along the north coast and on to the west 

 coast, but it is nowhere very abundant. On the north coast upon mud-flats and swamps 

 the Land-Crab or Crayfish, Bncjceus fossor, is fairly frequent, though nowhere so 

 abundant as on the West Coast Mountains. 



3. The West Coast. 



The mountainous and forest-clad region is only opened up to the traveller in the 

 mining districts, where tracks have been cleared through the forest. The south-western 

 corner of Tasmania, where no mines have been hitherto opened, is uninhabited, and the 

 forests can only be penetrated by the traveller cutting a track in front of him. 



Two localities were visited on the "West Coast: — (1) The beech forest round the 

 Magnet Mine. Here the burrows of the land-crab, Engceus fossor, were present in all 

 the moist gullies, and in one place, where a dam was being constructed for mining 

 purposes, the banks were absolutely riddled by these creatures, which seriously 



