of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 267 



inner margin of the ovisacs is nearly straight, the outer margin forms a 

 fiat but more or less regular curve ; they contain numerous, moderately 

 large ova, and, as a considerable number of the Copepods are females, we 

 find, what in such circumstances might be expected, that the species is a 

 comparatively common one, — we have obtained as many as sixteen 

 specimens from a single cockle. 



The fact that this Licliomolgus has been obtained in cockles from the 

 coast of Lancashire and from the Firth of Forth, and that most of the 

 cockles examined were infested with the Copepod, seems to imply that it 

 is a generally distributed species ; if this be so, it may then be of interest 

 to inquire further, whether (a) the Lichomolgus is found at particular 

 seasons or all the year round, (b) as a semi-parasite or as commensal only, 

 (c) if its presence has any connection with a healthy or unhealthy con- 

 dition of the mollusc. Though Copepods, when present in more cr less 

 abundance in fresh water, may, in some cases, be rightly considered as 

 1 danger signals,' they are in themselves innoxious, and their presence, 

 though sometimes in considerable numbers, in the cockles, may after all 

 be no indication of hurtful conditions. 



Cyclopicera nigripes, Brady and Robertson. 



This handsome species has only recently been observed within the 

 Forth area. It was obtained by washing a quantity of Zoophytes brought 

 up in the trawl-net while working some miles east of May Island. This 

 is readily distinguished from other species of Cyclopicera by its large size 

 and by the dark colour of the foot-jaws and swimming feet. Dr Brady 

 records its occurrence from several places of the North East Coast of 

 England, Shetland (Norman), the Firth of Clyde, and from Lough Swilly, 

 Ireland. I have taken it in Cromarty Firth and in East Loch Tarbert 

 (Loch Fyne). 



Thysanoessa borealis (G. 0. Sars). 



This Schizopod has been taken in several parts of the Forth area. I 

 am indebted to Rev. A. M. Norman for the name of the species. He also 

 informs me that among a few Schizopoda sent to him, including the 

 Thysanoessa, was what he considers to be a specimen of Nematofelis 

 megalops (G. O. Sars.), but it wanted the long slender first pair of legs, 

 which had become detached, and which form one of the chief distinctive 

 characters of the species. The eyes of Thysanoessa and Nematdjcelis are 

 distinctly constricted near the middle, so that they appear to consist of an 

 under and upper eye, and this character enables them to be readily 

 distinguished from Boreophausia and Nyctiphanes. 



[Description op the Plates. 



