ON A NEW AMPHIPOD FROM THE TRANSVAAL. 109 



8. De.scription of an Ampliipod belonging to the Family 

 Talitridse, from the Woodbiish, Transvaal. By Paul 

 A. Methuen, F.Z.S. 



[Received July 7, 1912 ; Read November 26, 1912], 



(Plates X. & XI*) 



Index. 



Systematic : Page 



Talitriator, gen. nov 109 



T. eastwoodcB, sp. n 110 



A few months ago I received from Miss Audrey Eastwood 

 some Gammarids from streams near Mr. Eastwood's farm, Clear- 

 water, in the Woodbush, Northern Transvaal. Seeing that 

 these are the fii-st Gammarids recorded from the fresh-waters of 

 South Africa other than near the sea, they are of some little 

 interest. 



Tlie specimens sent belong to one species and to a family 

 whose members, though they are usually littoral marine forms, 

 have often been recorded from localities far from the sea and at 

 some considerable altitude in other countries. 



Thus Talitrus sylvaticus has been found in Tasmania up to a 

 height of 760 metres on Mount Wellington, and Chiltonia in New 

 Zealand in mountain streams up to 450 metres and more. The 

 genus Hyalella is restricted to fresh-waters, occurring according 

 to Stebbing (in 'Das Tierreich ') "in depths above the sea- 

 level extending to 4053 metres " ; thus in South America, Lake 

 Titicaca supports a number of deep-water forms. 



We can probably derive most of the fresh-water species in 

 this family directly from marine ancestors. In the Cape some 

 littoral marine forms do actually ascend for a short way up streams 

 near the coast. But until this record from the Woodbush none 

 had been discovered at any distance from the sea. 



I think we can safely say that this new species has been 

 independently derived from a marine form. Though a new 

 genus has been made for its reception, yet it is very closely 

 i-elated to the genus Taliti'us, in which genus it may have to be 

 included eventually. 



The fact that there is an Am]3hipod in this country which 

 thrives in mountain streams at least in one locality is very 

 suggestive as to what might be done to increase its numbers and 

 I'ange for the purpose of trout food ; and I think no one would 

 dispute its value for this purpose. 



Genus Talitriator, gen. nov. 



Diagnosis.— Ijike Talitrus except for the fifth side-plate and 

 the following characters : — 



Antennule is slightly shorter than peduncle of antenna. The 



* For explanation of the Plates sec p. 112. 



