DARWINIA COMPRESSA. 185 



the peduncle is not longer than the flagellum. The in- 

 ferior antennae are scarcely longer than the peduncle of 

 the superior. The first pair of legs are very small, and 

 are generally so closely folded beneath the animal that 

 they are with difficulty examined ; the wrist and hand 

 are subequally long, and very slight ; the finger is long 

 and slender, and capable of being shut upon the inferior 

 margin of the hand. The second pair of legs are but a 

 little larger than the first, and have the wrist longer than 

 the hand; the hand is truncate, the palm being at nearly 

 right angles with the inferior margin ; the finger is long, 

 and furnished with a single subapical tooth, giving it the 

 appearance of a somewhat forked extremity. The walk- 

 ing legs are very robust ; the coxae gradually increase in 

 depth from the first to the fourth, which is produced 

 downwards to an obtuse point. All the walking legs are 

 nearly equal in length and strength, and each terminates 

 in a strong pointed hook-like finger, which Liljeborg not 

 inaptly, in his description of Lafystius, compares to the 

 claws of a feline mammal. They are long and powerful 

 organs, and are indicative of parasitic habits. The three 

 posterior pairs of caudal appendages reach to about the 

 same length, and are very free from hairs. The tail-piece 

 is lanceolate in its form. 



This species was first taken by Mr. Edward, of Banff, 

 at the entrance of the Moray Frith, whence also we have 

 received specimens from Mr. Gregor, of Macduff. Mr. 

 Loughrin has also sent us specimens from Polperro. These 

 last were as white as writing-paper, and in this respect 

 differed from those received from the Moray Frith, which 

 were of a brown hue. After being kept a short time, 

 the Cornish individuals assumed the colour of the North 

 British specimens, hence we may assume white to be the 



