835 



FRESH-WATER CRUSTACEA COLLECTED BY Dr. P. A. BUXTON 

 IN MESOPOTAMIA AND PERSIA. 



By 



Robert Gtjrney, m.a. 



{With two plates and two text figures.) 



The Crustacea recorded in the following report were collected by Dr. Buxton 

 during 1917 and 1918, mainly in the neighbourhood of Amara in Mesopotamia 

 but a few collections were also made in North Persia and are included in the list. 



My expectation had been that the district of Amara would have been a very 

 favourable one for Phyllopoda, and also that the Entomostraca would show a 

 distinct mingling of eastern and western forms, but these expectations have not 

 been realised. Only two species of Phyllopod are included in Dr. Buxton's 

 collections, and the remaining Entomostraca recorded are, with the exception 

 of Daphnia lumholtzi and Moina duhia, of a European type. 



Between Basra and Amara there are immense areas of permanent shallow 

 marsh on either side of the Tigris, generally some way from the river. The 

 fauna of these marshes was sampled by Dr. Buxton at Azize, Kharaba (E. of 

 Amara) and at Ezra's Tomb on the Tigris between Amara and Basra. Though 

 15 species were taken at the latter place the fauna seems to be surprising! y 

 scanty. Dr. Buxton suggests that the scantiness of the fauna may be due to 

 the intense sunlight and high temperature of the shallow water during the day- 

 time in summer, or to the great daily fluctuation in temperature. With the 

 exception of this marsh most of the collections were made in temporary pools 

 where a varied fauna was not to be expected. In North Persia, on the 

 other hand, the conditions seem to be much more favourable, and the collections 

 from Resht and Enzeli contain a larger number of species than any of those from 

 Mesopotamia, though their state of preservation makes the identification of 

 some of them impossible. 



I have not thought it necessary to give lists of the species included in the 

 various collections since, for the most part, they were made in temporary pools 

 and contained very few species. Two, however, seem to me of sufficient interest 

 to record in full, namely, those taken in the permanent marsh at Ezra's Tomb 

 near Amara and at Resht in North Persia. 



Ezra's Tomb. 23.2.18. 



A large swamp close to the Tigris with water from 2 to 4 feet deep. A broad 

 belt of reeds, with submerged water plants and extensive open water. 



Daphnia lumholtzi, Sars. Several young ; few adults. 



Daphnia longispina, O. F. M. Common, males present. 



Simocephalus exspinosus, Koch. Common. 



Scapholeberis mucronata (0. F. M. \ Rare. 



Bosmina longirostris, O. F. M. A few. 



Ceriodaphnia reticulata (Jurine). Rare. 



Alona rectangula, Sars. 



Alona costata, Sars. 



Chydorus sphaericus (O. F. M.). Common. 



Diaptomus vulgaris, Schmeil. Common. 



Cyclops vicinus, Uljanin. Rare. 



Cyclops agilis, Fischer-Sars. Raxe. 



Canthocamptus staphylinus, Jurine. 



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