584 Miscellaneous. 



to recognize his specimens of tlie genns from his specimens of 

 a]l other genera ; or, in other words, it contains a distinct 

 exposition of the essential characters. What more could be 

 expected of him ? Is the name that he proposed to be dis- 

 carded (1) because his definition of it does not enable Mr. 

 Walker to select the species from a collection of all the 

 Amphipoda known at the present time to occur on the 

 British coasts? or (2) because it has since been found tliat 

 the male, which was unknown to Leach, has hands of a diffe- 

 rent shape from the female? 



These it seems to me are the only two props that Mr. 

 Walker has to support him ; and I fear he will find it 

 exceedingly difficult to maintain his balance on a two-legged 

 stool of this description. But I trust he will abandon the 

 attempt. It seems to me that he must admit that, in accord- 

 ance with a legitimate and practical interpretation of an 

 ambiguous rule, the genus may still stand as Leach's, for it 

 can only be overthrown by an impractical rendering of it. 



But to take the name from Leach and give it to Bate, as 

 Mr. Walker proposes, is to add insult to injury by punishing 

 the innocent to reward the guilty. Fortunately, on any 

 plea, the transference is inadmissible, for Oken and iiafinesque 

 have put in a prior claim for it. 



But Leach's claims are incontestable ; and those who swear 

 by the law of priority, which ultimately must prevail, will 

 say Jiat Jtistitm, ruat codum — give Leach the credit of the 

 name, no matter to what temporary condition of chaos the 

 synonymy of the group be thereby brought. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



Description of a new Species of Tristomum from Histiophorus brevi- 

 rostris. liy E. jErrKEr Bell. 



Amokg the specimens in the collection of the late Mr, F. Day are 

 Bome labelled as " Parasites from Histrophorvs (sic) hrevirostris, 

 Madras." These are all examples of a species of Tristomum which 

 is clearly allied to but is quite distinct from T. coccinetim. The 

 characters of the latter species have been so clearly stated by Dr. 

 Taschenberg * that it is an easy matter to distinguish the new 

 species, which may be called Tristomum histiophori. With a close 

 resemblance to T. coccineum, it is distinguished by the absence of 



* Abh. tier iiaturt'. Cics. zu llallt-, xiv. Flcl't 3. 



