300 PRANIZA EDWARDII. CHAP. xV. 



species of Anceus, the one being considerably smaller than 

 the other. Of the lesser, there were several specimens ; but 

 of the larger, only two. The answer which you gave me was, 

 that they were Anceus maxillaris. At this I was somewhat 

 disappointed. I admit that the larger were of that species, 

 but not the smaller. And since I received your last number, 

 which treats on this subject, I am now more than ever con- 

 vinced that they are distinct. I consider the smaller speci- 

 men to be the male of the Praniza Edwardii. I may be 

 wrong, but that is my conviction. I need not, of course, at- 

 tempt to point out the distinctions to you ; but perhaps you 

 will allow me to state a few words on the subject, and what 

 makes me think that he is the male of Praniza Edwardii. 



" In the first place, I would say that this little fellow is 

 decidedly a deep-sea species, that is, so far as my experi- 

 ence goes. I have never found him but on the old shells 

 and stones brought up by the fishermen's lines. There he 

 seems to prowl about seeking what he may devour, prying 

 into every crevice and corner in search of food, and also into 

 the tenantless worm-cases with which these old shells and 

 stones are generally encrusted. Now these are exactly the 

 habitats and manners of the Praniza Edwardii when adult. 

 Where I find the one, I am almost sure to find the other. 

 I have found them together, and taken them out of the same 

 worm-tube. But though this does not amount to an entire 

 proof, still it helps to strengthen my conjecture that they are 

 male and female. 



" In the second place, besides the striking disparity in 

 size, the mandibles in this species appear to me to differ con- 

 siderably from the same organs in the Anceus maxillaris. 

 Here I have never seen them to overlap each other as they 

 do in the one just named. And, having frequently kept 

 them alive, I have seen their mandibles open and shut times 

 without number ; and, so far as I could make out, they never 

 crossed each other in the least. Indeed, I do not think they 



