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340 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



Canthocamptus, the name minutus is somewhat misleading 

 whereas staiohylinus indicates very well the features of flexibility 

 referred to above. Further, Miiller's description and drawings 

 of his C. minutus do not prove identity with the species con- 

 sidered in these notes, whereas the staphylimis of Jurine, who 

 gives a much better description and set of drawings, seems to be 

 the same species. All this, however, would be of little importance 

 if the name C. staphylmus were not largely used by authorities 

 ■on the Copepods ; but the number of authorities who adopt the 

 name staphylinus is probably as great as that of those who adopt 

 the name ininutus. 



Canthocamptus staphylinus is the commonest Harpactid in the 

 country of the Chess and Gade, and has been taken in very 

 large numbers during the autumn, winter, and spring. By far 

 the best locality known to me is Langleybury Pool, and other good 

 localities are Berkhamsted Castle Moats, Cholesbury Common 

 Pool, Parsonage Farm Pool, and several other weedy localities, 

 €. g. the brooks near the Canal, the Chess, and the Gade. The 

 notes on Langleybury Pool show that numerous specimens, many 

 ■of these being females with ovisacs or spermatic tubes or both, 

 have occurred during the last few years during the months 

 November to April, both inclusive ; that the number of specimens, 

 and especially of ova-bearing females, was less in May; that 

 June, July, August, and September gave poor results ; and that 

 the number of specimens increased rapidly in October and reached 

 a maximum in November. 



The prevailing colour of the females was light red, but some 

 were grey or nearly colourless ; the males were usually grey. 

 On March 26th, 1914, the specimens were very numerous, and 

 one was very conspicuous by reason of the brilliant whiteness of 

 the underside of its body and its swimming-feet. This seems 

 to have been an example of albinism. Among invertebrates 

 a,lbinism is by no means rare ; e. g. I have found several pure 

 white Earwigs and almost white specimens of Asellus aquaticus. 



The colour of the egg-sacs of C. staphylinus was most usually 

 a very dark green, brown, or blue ; the colours were so dark 

 that to the naked eye the egg-sacs seemed to be black. In a 

 comparatively small number of specimens the egg-sacs were 

 grey, bright green, light blue, light reddish-brown, or nearly 



