DECAPODA. 381 



2nd Section, Decapoda Anomoura. 



Genus LiTHODES. 

 L. Maia, Leach. 



Templeton says of this species — " Found on the coast of the County 

 Wexford : a specimen thence is in Trinity College Museum [Dublin]. 

 It is called by the people crabati." * 



I have not seen any Irish example of this crab, but am indebted to Dr. 

 Wylie of Ballantrae, An-shire, for a very fine specimen ■which was taken 

 in a herring-net there in the summer of 1838, in water from twenty to 

 thirty fathoms in depth. It was brought to Dr. Wylie by the fishermen 

 as a species which they had never before met with. 



Getnts Pagurus. 

 P. Bernliardus, Edw. 



Hermit-crabs of this species are very common in univalve shells 

 around the coast of Ireland. Leach mentions their " first occupying the 

 shells of the common periwinkle ortrochus" (Art. Crustaceology in Edin. 

 Encyclop.) ; but some examples in my collection are much smaller than 

 those contained in the species just named. They are in the Litforina 

 retusa, Turritella terebra, and A^assa macula ; univalves from this size up 

 to that of the largest Biiccina are commonly inhabited by the P. Bern- 

 hardus : a specimen of this crab from the coast of Down, in my collection, 

 is 61 inches in length. Samouelle speaks of the shell occupied by the 

 Pagnrus being " destined to preserve the body from injury, and to guard 

 them from the attacks of fishes, which would otherwise devour them." 

 Entom. Compend., p. 92. In this latter respect the shells are of little 

 service, as I have remarked Paguri very commonly in the stomachs of 

 various species of fishes, but especially in the omnivorous and voracious 

 cod : all the moderate-sized and large hermit-crabs which have thus 

 occurred to me must have been dragged from their shells, which, in no 

 instance that I recollect, were found in the stomach of the fish along 

 with them. 



One of these crabs inhabiting a Bnccinnm muJatum was brought up 

 alive in the dredge from a depth of fifty fathoms off the Mull of Galloway. 

 See Annals, vol. x. p. 21, 



P. Prideauxii, Leach, 

 Has been taken- by Mr. Hyndman and myself when dredging in 

 Strangford and Belfast Loughs, and in the open sea oflf Dundrum, County 

 Down, and in every instance occupying the shell invested by the Adam- 

 sia maculata [Actinia mnodata, Adams). Leach states that " Mr. Pri- 

 deaux has observed it in a vast variety of habitations, even in the tubes 

 of the Dcntalia and in the shell of Scaphander lifpiarius \_Bulia lignaria'] : " 

 no allusion is made to its connexion with Adamsia. 



To me this appears singular, for among the very numerous specimens 

 of Par/iiri in my collection from all quarters of the Irish coast, and found 

 inhabiting shells of various species, not a 7*. Prideaaxii occurs, except in 

 connexion with the Actinia already named. This is a remarkable fact. 



* Dr. Ball thinks there is some mistake here. Mala Squinado, probably. — En. 



