262 NOTES ON THE FAUNA OF FALMOUTH. 



During the past two summers I have found three specimens 

 of a diminunitive crustacean, ■which appear to be immature 

 examples of Q-alathea squamif era. These crustaceans have never 

 been found to exceed 1 cm. in length, and owing to their 

 exceptionally bright markings, have been at once detected on 

 turning over the stone under which they have taken shelter. 

 My friend, Mr. W. Garstang, tells me he has taken similar 

 specimens in the neighbourhood of Plymouth. The following 

 brief description of a living specimen will perhaps convey to 

 the reader some idea of the extreme brilliancy of the markings. 

 The ground-work of the whole cephalothorax, chelae, and legs, 

 was ivory white ; the cheloe and legs being marked with 

 transverse bands of brown pigment, while the same colour was 

 irregularly distributed over the whole animal. The cervical 

 groove was very distinctly shewn, owing to the presence of a 

 bright blue line of pigment which clearly marked its course. 

 Faint blue patches were also visible on the whole body of the 

 animal, these being especially clear in the region of the telson. 

 These colours were only visible in the living animal, and quickly 

 faded when the specimens had been dead a short time. 



Several specimens of Anthura gracilis have been dredged 

 from the deep water in the harbour. These sessile-eyed 

 crustaceans have only been discovered after placing stones, shells, 

 and other rubbish in pans of sea-water, and allowing them to 

 remain undisturbed for a day or two, when the animals crawl 

 out from their hiding places. A single example of the same 

 species was found during the spring tides of March in a small 

 pool of water near Trefusis point. 



MoLLUSCA. A singular and in many ways unique habitat 

 for the young of Acera bullata was observed during the early 

 part of last summer. Towards the end of May, while examining 

 some very fine specimens of Aurelia, my attention was attracted 

 to what at first sight seemed to be a sessile-eyed crustacean, 

 securely hidden in one of the sub -genital pits of a single 

 individual, but which was found to be an immature specimen of 

 this mollusk. Curiously enough, on the 31st of May an adult 

 specimen of Acera bullata was observed swimming in the sea 

 close to my hut, and on being secured in a tin bailer, was almost 

 immediately given to me. Being unable to obtain any 



