May 30, 1912] 
NATURE 
Beil 
Nematodes were found to be plentiful in localities | 
rich in detritus, such as the fine shingle among the 
rocks and boulders in the Laminaria zone and among 
the small filamentous seaweeds in the roclx-pools. 
But they were almost equally abundant (though some 
of the genera were different) in shore-sand, in which 
there was scarcely any detritus. 
Nematodes were not observed to be plentiful in 
actively decaying animal and vegetable matter. Two 
were seen feeding within the almost completely 
emptied skin of a decaying Tubificid worm. There 
were, however, quantities of small flagellates present, 
and it may have been these, and not the worm, that 
the nematodes were devouring. 
Nematodes occurred in quantity in situations where 
diatoms were plentiful, as among small red and 
green seaweeds growing in the rock-pools and 
attached to boulders just exposed at low tide. 
Several individuals, which appeared to belong to the 
genus Oncholaimus, were seen to contain diatoms, all 
of the same genus Fragilaria, both in the oesophagus, 
down which they were passing, and in the intestine, 
where they were congregated. The diatoms found 
inside the nematodes were all of the elongated, 
pennate type, that is, of such a shape as would allow | 
them to pass readily down the cesophagus. These 
diatom-consuming nematodes were found among tufts 
of Corallina officinalis in the rock-pools and in 
bunches of small filamentous seaweeds, such as Poly- 
siphonia, which were growing epiphytically on Fucus 
vesiculosus and Ascophyllum nodosum. The same 
genus, and apparently the same species, of nematode, 
however, was plentiful in shore-sand where diatoms 
were found to be relatively scarce. Bastian in his 
monograph records the similar occurrence of diatoms 
in nematodes. He says (p. 84) :—‘‘In individuals of 
the genera Cyatholaimus and Spilophora I have fre- 
quently seen the intestine filled with large Diatom- 
acez, whilst in species of other genera I have 
occasionally made out a few cells of alge.” 
In Leuckart’s Festschrift, 1892, Dr. de Man de- 
scribed a new species of nematode forming wart-like 
galls on the “stems” of Ascophyllum nodosum, the 
knotted wrack. It is closely related to the notorious 
Tylenchus devastatrix, and was named hy him T. 
fucicola, This was the first discovery of galls formed 
by a parasitic nematode on seaweeds. The galls 
themselves were described by Miss E. S. Barton in 
the Phycological Memoirs of the British Museum, 
part i., 1892. The material on which they were 
found was collected at Stonehaven, Kincardineshire, 
on the east coast of Scotland, and at Seamill, W. 
Kilbride, Ayrshire, on the west. I kept a careful look- 
out for these galls at Port Erin, but, being unfamiliar | 
with their appearance, was only fortunate enough to | 
find one, though probably they are really plentiful. 
The galls and the nematodes present inside them 
corresponded to the descriptions given by Miss Barton 
and Dr. de Man, and are without doubt the same. 
No relation was discovered between the position or 
vertical movements of nematodes in the shore-sand 
and the presence or absence of daylight, though it is 
possible that some sort of relation exists. 
Gitpert E, JOHNSON. 
Zoological Department, Birmingham University, 
May 20. 
Lobsters in the A€gean. 
In Nature of March 7 (p. 9) ““W. T. C.” quotes 
from Prof. Herrick the statement that the common | 
lobster is not found in the Mediterranean east of the 
Adriatic; and, if perhaps this statement be not made 
so categorically elsewhere, I can at least find no 
mention of the lobster’s occurrence in the Aigean in | 
NO. 2222, VoL. 89] 
the works of Forbes, Heller, Carus, or other authori- 
tative writers. The point is interesting, as the writer 
points out, because the lobster was well known to 
Aristotle; and so I have sought further information 
from my friend Prof. N. Apostolides, of Athens. 
Prof. Apostolides tells me that the lobster does occur 
in the Aigean, but comparatively rarely. On the 
islands of Syros and Sciathos there is a great fishery 
of Palinurus vulgaris, the crawfish or ‘ Langouste,”’ 
in modern Greek doraxos, and with it the market of 
Athens is abundantly supplied. Together with it, 
but only in the proportion of one in a thousand, the 
common lobster, Homarus vulgaris, modern Greek 
kapaida, also occurs; in the Seaof Marmora, however, 
the latter species is more abundant. 
It would be highly interesting 10 know something 
more about the distribution of the two species in 
other parts of the Aigean, and to verify further, for 
instance, Aristotle’s statement (H.A., V., 17, 
459 6) that lobsters are found in the Hellespont and 
on the coast of Thasos, and crawfish in the neigh- 
bourhood of Sigeum and Mount. Athos. It would 
be especially interesting to know something of their 
relative abundance at Mitylene, where (as I believe) 
Aristotle did much or most of his zoological work; 
but this is only one of the multitude of points interest- 
ing to the student of Aristotle that might be cleared 
up by exploration of that particular neighbourhood. 
It will be seen that the names of the two species 
in modern Greek do not agree with Aristotle; for it 
is abundantly clear that (e.g. in H.A., IV., 2, 526 a, 
12) Aristotle describes the common lobster under the 
name of adoraxds, and that his xdapaBos is Palinurus 
locusta. In this identification of the Aristotelian 
names the chief commentators, Cuvier, Schneider, 
Young, Aubert and Wimmer, are all at one: and 
so there would seem to have been an exchange of 
the two names, one with another, for which trans- 
ference we cannot at present account. 
May 21. D’Arcy W. THOMPSON. 
Birds’ Nests. 
BEING occupied at present in an endeavour to ascer- 
tain the method of transmission of the trypanosomes 
and other blood parasites occurring in common British 
birds, such as the chaffinch, I very much desire to 
obtain nests, with the view of searching them for 
fleas; the nests which I want especially are those of 
the house-sparrow and the chaffinch, in both of which 
occurs the particular flea (Ceratophyllus fringillae) 
that I require. May I ask any of your readers who 
may be interested in the subject if they can procure 
for me nests of either of the above-mentioned birds? 
I shall be greatly obliged if any nests will be sent to 
me at the Lister Institute of Preventive Medicine, 
Chelsea Gardens, London, S.W. Nests should be 
well and closely wrapped up in paper, as soon as 
possible after being obtained, in order to prevent the 
possible escape of any fleas which may be present. 
Of course, any out-of-pocket expenses, &c., will be 
gladly refunded. H. M. Woopcock. 
The Lister Institute, May 27. 
dune Meteor-showers. 
Tue following meteor-showers become due during 
the month of June :— é 
Epoch June 4, 10h. 30m. (G.M.T.), approximately 
twenty-fourth order of magnitude. Principal maxi- 
mum, June 4, 9h. 10om.; secondary maxima, June 3, 
zh. 5m. and 14h. tom. : ' 
Epoch June 7, 6h. 30m., approximately eighth 
order of magnitude. Principal maximum, June 6, 
7h. 30m.; secondary maximum, June 7, oh. 30m. 
Epoch June ro, 18h. 30m., approximately fourteenth 
