256 NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF DUBLIN. 



Podopthalmia. Order Decapoda, Crabs. 



Stenorynchus phahngium, Long-legged Spider Crab. — Of this curious 

 species I collected three specimens, two of them males, and one female. 

 Mr. Bell, in his account of British stalk-eyed Crustacea, states it to be 

 not uncommon on the coast of Ireland. On the south coast of Ireland 

 it is said to be abundant, both amongst rocks on the shore and in deep 

 •water, and is occasionally caught in the trawl nets in vast numbers. Of 

 sixty -eight specimens brought up at once, the proportion of males to fe- 

 males was estimated as two to one. 



Mi/as coarctatus, Contracted Spider Crab. — As an Irish species, Mr. 

 Bell refers to it as occurring at Youghal, Dalkey Sound, the Loughs of 

 Strangford and Belfast, and at the Giant's Causeway, thus ranging 

 from the North to the South of Ireland. 



Cancer pagurus, The Great or Edible Crab. — The cast shell of a 

 very young individual was the only specimen obtained. It is generally 

 diffused round our coasts. 



Carcinus mcenas, Common Shore Crab. — This, the most common 

 Crab of our coasts, is left by the receding tide in great numbers on the 

 sandy shore. It is often dredged in deep water, although its favourite 

 haunts appear to be nearer low water mark. 



Portunus corrugatus, Wrinkled Swimming Crab. — The single spe- 

 cimen collected was a female carrying spawn. Mr. Bell considers this 

 as one of the rarer species in Mr. W. Thompson's account of Crustacea 

 in Ireland. The only examples he had seen were those from Lame and 

 Carrickfergus, in the Ordnance collection, and a single specimen obtained 

 on the Dublin coast by .Mr. R. Ball. 



Portunus holsatus, Livid Swimming Crab. — This Crab is said to be 

 extremely rare on the English coast. In Ireland, however, Mr. Thomp- 

 son states it to have occurred repeatedly, and that in Mr. Ball's collec- 

 tion are several specimens which were dredged in Dublin Bay. 



Corystes Cassivelaunus, Masked Crab. — I found this crab very abun- 

 dant, and mostly females. The sexes differ very much from each other, 

 particularly in the form of the anterior legs, which are very long in 

 the male. It is said to be generally rather a deep sea species, and 

 to be occasionally thrown on shore after storms or gales of wind that 

 have been tending towards shore. It has been frequently taken in the 

 Irish Sea. 



Pagurus Bernliardus, Common Hermit Crab. — This curious species, 

 which has a very wide distribution round our coast, I found to be par- 

 ticularly abundant, occupying different kinds of shells, according to its 

 age. It had taken the place of the original possessors in the shells of 

 Buccinum undatum, Fusus antiquus, F. Islandicus, Murex erinaceus, 

 Natica monilifera, Litorina litorea, and Trochus zizipkinus. Some 

 of the largest carried bunches of well-developed ova of a rich mulberry 

 colour. 



