Clare Island Survey. 



37 

 ARCTISCOIDA. 



By JAMES MUBBAY, F.K.S.E. 

 Flates I-III. 



Bead April 24. Published June 15, 1911. 



Order ARCTISCOIDA Sctmltze (27).* 



Family Xenomorphidae Perty (18). 



(Water-bears : Tardigrada). 



Inteoduction. 



The name Arctiscoida is here employed for the group of animals popularly 

 known as Water-bears. Prof. Hay (7) showed that the long familiar name 

 Tardigrada was preoccupied, and that the earliest known name applied to the 

 family was Xenomorphidae Berty (18). As the group is of higher than family 

 rank, I have recently suggested (17) the adoption of Schultze's name 

 Arctiscoida (27) as an ordinal name (although it was given as a family name 

 subsequent to Berty's), retaining Berty's Xenomophidae for the only family at 

 present in the group. 



The word Arctiscoida is of suitable form for an ordinal name, and embodies 

 the first generic name, Arctiscon Schrank (25), ever applied to a Water-bear. 



Historical sketch. — Irish Water-bears appear to have no history. I can 

 learn of no records previous to the commencement of the work of the Clare 

 Island Survey. 



Various naturalists employed on the Survey have assisted me by collecting 

 material. In September, 1909, Dr. Benard brought to me some Sphagnum 

 and other mosses, from which I obtained the first Irish Water- bears, Macro- 

 biotus echinogenitus and M. augusti. The latter species has not been found in 

 any subsequent collections. 



In>February, 1911, Mr. A. D. Cotton sent mosses from Belclare, among 

 which there were found eight species of Water-bears. 



In March, 1911, 1 spent about a week in the district, and collected thirty- 



* Figures in thick type, enclosed in parentheses, refer to the Bibliography at the end. 

 R.I.A. PKOO., VOL. XXXI. A 37 



