R. ETHERIDGE, JUN., ON A MACRUROUS DECAPOD. 863 



46. On the Occurrence of a Macrurous Decapod (Anthrapal>emon ? 

 "Woodwardi, sp. nov.) in the Red Sandstone, or lowest group, 

 of the Carboniferous Formation in the South-east of Scotland. 

 By R. Etheridge, Esq., Jun., F.G.S. (Eead May 9, 1877.) 



(Communicated with the permission of the Director-General of the Geological 



Survey.) 



[Plate XXVII.] 



1. Introduction. 



I hate had the honour on two .previous occasions (with the per- 

 mission of the Director-General of the Geological Survey) to bring 

 under the notice of the Society two important additions to the Car- 

 boniferous fauna of Scotland, Astrocrinites ? Benniei (mihi), and 

 Productus complectens (mihi). Again the pleasure devolves upon 

 me of calling attention to a further discovery of considerable 

 pakeontological interest — the occurrence of a Macrurous Decapod, 

 probably referable to the genus Anthrajxdcemon, Salter, in the base- 

 ment beds of the Carboniferous formation, as developed in the 

 neighbourhood of Dunbar. 



To the prolific hammer of Mr. James Bennie, whilst engaged in 

 his duties as one of the collectors of the Geological Survey of Scot- 

 land, we are again indebted for the valuable and unique fossil in 

 question. The specimen, with its counterpart, was forwarded by 

 Mr. Bennie as a Crustacean, amongst a collection of plants from the 

 Bed Sandstones of Belhaven Bay, near Dunbar. I at once saw that 

 it was not only a Crustacean, but a member of one of the higher 

 divisions of the class, — a fact of very considerable interest, in so 

 far that it extends the range of the Macrura, if I am correct in so 

 referring the fossil, downwards to a lower horizon than they have 

 hitherto occurred at in this country. After a careful examina- 

 tion, I came to the conclusion that the form was closely allied to 

 Salter's genus Anthrapcdcvmon, and, in the absence of any further 

 evidence than is afforded by the specimen, must be regarded as a 

 species of the latter; this I hope to prove in the succeeding 

 remarks. 



Following the plan adopted in my previous communications, I 

 shall commence by giving an outline of the Bibliography not only 

 of the Palaeozoic Decapoda, but of the Malacostracous Crustacea 

 generally of the older rocks, with the view of bringing forward any 

 points which may tend to show an alliance of our fossil with any of 

 the orders other than the Decapoda ; secondly, a description of the 

 fossil will be given ; thirdly, its generic affinities will be dwelt on ; 

 and lastly, a few remarks on the geological horizon will be made. 

 I have endeavoured to give as complete a Bibliography as possible. 

 To those authors whose writings I have overlooked, my apologies are 

 due for so doing ; it will, however, be due to difficulties in obtaining 

 some of the rarer works of reference. 



