Mr. W. Omer Cooper on Paragnathia. 123 
identified by Canon Norman with the Anceus formica of 
Hesse. The description by Bate and Westwood proved, 
upon comparison with my specimens, to be very accurate 
and left no doubt whatever as to the identity of the species, 
but Iam by no means inclined to believe that this can be 
the same animal which Hesse described under the name of 
Anceus formica. This latter species is described as having a 
distinctly rounded head, gnathopods consisting of a single 
flattened plate, and a rounded telson, none of which features 
in any way agree with the description given by Bate aud 
Westwood or with my specimens. 
Upon a microscopical examination of the mouth-parts it 
became apparent that this species is very widely separated 
from the others belonging to the genus Gnathia, among 
which it has, of course, been formerly placed. The five- 
jointed gnathopods of both male and female and the absence 
of maxillipeds in the latter at once distinguish it from all 
other species of Gnathia, and the former characters, at least, 
would appear to be of more than specific value as the 
opercular two-jointed gnathopods are one of the most dis- 
tinctive features of the genus. I therefore consider it best 
to place this species in a new genus, Paragnathia, very 
closely allied to Huneognathia (Stebbing), the only important 
distinction being that the latter has the gnathopods of the 
male six-jointed. As, however, no female of the only known 
species of this genus—Euneognathia gigas (Beddard)— 
appears to have been described, it would seem probable 
that the females of the two genera might show further 
distinguishing features, more especially as H. gigas and 
P. halidaii are specifically very widely separated. 
Since my first discovery of P. halidait at Christchurch 
Harbour, I have found the species there in great abundance, 
and I have also had it sent to me from near Plymouth and 
from St. Andrews. It is probably more or less widely 
distributed, but may easily be passed over on account of its 
almost terrestrial mode of life. It would seem to be always 
found where the water is more or less brackish, living in 
small cavities in the banks just below high-water mark, and 
a considerable number of specimens are usually found to- 
gether in each cavity, the males apparently having small 
holes leading from these cavities, into which they retire in 
case of danger. They are exceedingly sluggish in their 
habits, and. when frightened they usually sham death, 
folding their legs close to their body. As in the case of 
Gnathia, there is nothing to show that the adults ever eat, 
and the use of the peculiar mouth-organs is unknown, The 
