342 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE TEERITOiriES. 



Branchipus VEENALis Yerrill. 



Plates XI, figs. 2-6 ; XXII, figs. 3-6. 



BraricMpus stagnalis Gould, Invertebrata of Massaclinsetts, 339, 1841. 

 Brarwhipus vernalis Verrill, Amer. Jouru. Sc, XLVlII, 251, Sept., 1869. 

 EubrancMpus vernalis Verrill, Proc. Amer. Assoc. Adv. So., July, 1870. 



Body stout, pale flesh-colored with reddish tints, head large ; claspers 

 with the basal joint very stout, slightly curved, nearly one-half as thick 

 as long 5 retractile, drawing in with it the base of the 2d joint ; 2d joint 

 chitinous, rigid, with a long obtuse spur on the inner side at the base, 

 which is directed inwards at right angles ; beyond this spur the joint 

 in transverse section triangular, the edges very prominent ; the inner 

 edge of the joint is hollowed out at the base, while the extremity is bent 

 outward somewhat like the foot of a sock before it is worn. The inter- 

 autennal or frontal appendages are broad, triangular, flat (from above 

 downward), nearly twice as long as broad, acutely pointed; with the 

 edge finely serrated, the teeth, when highly magnified, being separate. 

 at base, and bottle-shaped, with one, and sometimes two, rarely three, 

 " necks" or "points" (PI. XXIi, fig. 5, 5o). The external organ of re- 

 production (peuis) is stout, massive, not deeply cleft in the middle, 

 while the cirrus (PI. XXII, fig. 3, c) is miuute, long, and filiform. 



The body of the female is as stout and of the same size as in the male ; 

 the ovisac is not so long as broad, pink, with a prominent, full "neck," 

 with a transverse narrow opeuiug for the exit of the eggs ; the lower lip 

 of the opening is smaller than the upj^er lip. 



Male. — Total length of body, 23'"" ; of 2d antennae, 8™"" j 2d joint of same, 

 4.5™™; of penis, 3.5™™ ; caudal appendages, 4™™. 



Female. — Total length, 23™"" ; length of ovisac, 3-4™™ ; of caudal ai3- 

 pendages, 4™™. 



This species ranges from Salem, Mass., through Ehode Island to Xew 

 Haven, and southward to Philadelphia (March 27, Mr. W. P. Seal) and 

 westward to Southern Ohio (Wapakoneta, Ohio, Wm. Kayser), and In- 

 diana, (received from Irviugton, Ind., Mr. O. P. Hay, Amer. IS at. 1882, 

 242). In Southern JSTew England it is found from the last of November 

 until the first week in May, but has not yet been found during the sum- 

 mer from the middle of May until the middle of Xovember, as will be 

 seen by the following record of localities and dates of captnre: Salem, 

 Mass., April 11), 1859\E. H. Wheatland, Essex Institute; ; April 12, 187G, 

 a few half-grown ones (Packard); Dan vers, Mass., Nov. 25, 1878, Decem- 

 ber and Jau. 10 (John Sears); Brookline, Mass., March 30, 1878 (M. T. 

 Henshaw); Pawtucket, K.I, March 18, 1880 (H. H. Davison); ISTew- 

 port, 1:. L, Feb 15, 1877 (Mr. Powell, Mus. Comp. Zool.); Xew Haven 

 (Dana, Eaton & Verrill); At Seekonk, Mass., they occurred abun- 

 dantly May 2, in a large pond which comi>letely dried up in summer 

 {H. C. Bumpus) ; when I visited the pond in comi>any with Mr;. Bum pus, 

 May 13, none were to be fouiul. It seems from this quite evident that 

 the animal probably <lies off at the approach of warm weather and does 

 not reappear until after cool weather sets in late in the autumn, being- 

 represented in the summer by the eggs alone; and thus the aj^pearance 

 and disappearance of this Phyllopod is apparently determined mainly 

 by the temperature. 



In life the body is of a pale flesh color, the tips of the penis deep red- 

 dish-brown, from thence a narrow line widening to the posterior half of 

 the abdomen. The white setfe on the caudal api)endages and the white 

 tips of the endites contrast with the deep reddish-brown of the rest of 



