C24- THE LONG-HOENED COKOPHIUM. 



There are many fossil remains said to be the relics of certain worms, but which are 

 now thought by Mr. Albany Hancock to have been produced by some crustacean of 

 similar habits to the Sand-screw. He has given a most interesting account of this 

 discovery, and the following passages are extracted from his account : " I went down to 

 the beach, just as the tide was leaving the spot where the broad tracks were usually in 

 great profusion. The sand was quite smooth, all irregularities having been obliterated by 

 the action of the water. Here and there, however, the tracks had already made their 

 appearance, but were as yet of very limited extent, and there was no longer any difficulty 

 in taking the whole in in one view, and moreover, the extremities were perfectly distinct. 

 It was only necessary to watch attentively to note the formation of the numerous and 

 labyrinthine windings that had been so long a puzzle. 



I had not long to wait before the sand at one of the extremities was observed to 

 be gently agitated, and on this agitation ceasing, the track was found to have added 

 nearly half an inch to its length. In the course of two or three minutes the sand 

 was again put in motion, and the track once more a little prolonged. These movements 

 were repeated over and over again, until it was quite clear that the track was formed by 

 slow intermitting steps, and not, as might have been supposed, by 'one continuous gliding 

 motion. Having satisfied myself of this, I took up the morsel of sand at the end of the 

 track, just as it was again becoming agitated, and found that I had captured a small 

 crustacean, the species of which was unknown to me, though in general appearance it was 

 not altogether unlike the common sand-hopper, but not quite so long. I soon took in this 

 way five or six specimens, all of the same species, and all forming tracks of precisely the 

 same character ; namely, broad, slightly elevated, flattened, and grooved. 



While forming its track, the animal is never seen ; it moves along a little beneath the 

 surface of the sand, which it pushes upwards with its back, and the arch or tunnel thus 

 formed partially subsides as the creature presses forward, and breaking along the centre, 

 the median groove is produced." 



An example of the tortuous track left by this animal is shown in the illustration. 



IN the right-hand lower corner may be seen a more slender and delicate looking 

 crustacean. This is KEOYER'S SAND-SCREW, a creature which possesses some of the same 

 habits as the last-mentioned species. It burrows horizontally beneath the sand, like the 

 common Sand-screw, but differs in its mode of action, the back always appearing above 

 the sand. 



THE last figure in the illustration represents the LONG-HORNED COROPHIUM, a curioiis- 

 looking and very interesting species, inhabiting the muddy parts of the sea-shore. This 

 creature is common in the summer and early autumn, at which tines it walks boldly 

 upon the wet shore. During the later part of autumn and the winter it resides in holes 

 which it burrows into the mud and clay, and in some places is so plentiful that the mud 

 is quite honeycombed by its tunnels. 



This species is very common on the French coasts, especially in the great mussel 

 preserves near Eochelle. M. D'Orbigny, who observed their habits closely, has given a 

 very animated account of their manner of feeding. 



The whole of the muddy deposit along the shores is inhabited by myriads of marine 

 worms, such as the nereis and lug-worm, and upon these the Corophium feeds. As the tide 

 rises, the worms ascend to the mouths of their burrows for the purpose of eating the little 

 animalcules that swarm on the shore. The Corophium wages continual war against these 

 worms, darts at them with surprising speed, fastens on them, and eats them. Sometimes 

 a great lug-worm will be surrounded by thirty or forty of these curious Crustacea, all 

 attacking it simultaneously, and forming a strange group as the worm writhes in its 

 endeavours to escape, and carries with it the small but pertinacious foes under whose 

 attack it is sinking. 



Hundreds of the Corophium may be seen beating the mud rapidly with their 

 enormous antennae for the purpose of discovering their prey, and the energy of the 

 movement and the evident excitement under which the creatures labour partake largely 

 of the ludicrous. They do not restrict themselves to the worms, being equally ready to 



