248 Part III. — Twelfth Annual Report 



Outer branches slender, three-jointed, and equal to nearly three-fifths the 

 length of the first joint of the inner branches. Inner branches of the 

 second, third, and fourth pairs, short, two-jointed ; those of the fourth 

 pair scarcely reach beyond the end of the first joint of the outer branches. 

 The outer branches of the fourth pair are short, stout, and very setose. 

 In the fifth pair both joints are broadly foliaceous and sub-quadrate, and 

 bear a number of strongly plumose terminal setae. Caudal stylets equal 

 to one and a half times the length of the last abdominal segment, and 

 clothed with minute hairs. 



Male.- — Anterior antennae very robust. The three last joints, which 

 together form a claw-like appendage, are joined to the preceding joint 

 by a strong hinge-like process, by which they can be folded back upon 

 that joint, thus forming a powerful grasping organ. The inner branches 

 of the fourth pair of thoracic feet are very rudimentary, and consist of 

 two minute joints ; the outer branches are three-jointed and robust. The 

 first joint is considerably longer than the next two together. The first 

 and secoud joints are each armed with a stout spine at the distal end ; 

 while the last joint bears three spines, one small and two large, as shown 

 in the figure. Fifth pair rudimentary, consisting of a slightly produced 

 basal portion carrying four setae on small basal projections, and a minute 

 spine on the inner margin. The sixth appendage consists of a small 

 bilobed process, each lobe bearing a stout apical seta. 



Habitat. — In pools of brackish water at the mouth of a small stream 

 near Aberlady, Firth of Forth ; and in similar pools at the mouth of the 

 River Alness, near Invergordon, Cromarty Firth. 



Remarks. — This species somewhat resembles Laoplionte curticavda, 

 Boeck. The outer branches of the male fourth thoracic feet are not very 

 unlike those of the male third pair of that species, but the structure of 

 the inner branches is very different. Laoplionte littorale appears to be 

 confined to localities where the water is more or less brackish. 



(?) Laoplionte simulans* sp. n. (PI. VII. figs. 24-32 ; PI. VIII. fig. 1). 



Description. — Female. Length "43 mm. (-^g-th of an inch). Body seen 

 from above, broadly ovate, depressed. Forehead produced into a broad 

 blunt pointed rostrum. Anterior antennae robust, shorter than the first 

 cephalo-thoracic segment, six-jointed. The third joint is considerably 

 longer than any of the others, while the fourth and fifth are small ; a 

 long slender filament springs from the fourth joint (fig. 1, PI. VIII.). 

 The proportional lengths of the joints are shown by the formula : — 



14 • 18 • 23 • 5 • 3 • 12 • 

 1-2-3-4-5-6- 



Basal joint of posterior antennae robust. Second joint shorter and much 

 narrower. Secondary branch short, bearing four terminal plumose setae 

 (fig. 25, PI. VII.). Mandible elongate, slender, and provided with a small 

 one-jointed palp (fig. 26, PL VII.). Posterior foot-jaws stout, armed with a 

 powerful strongly curved terminal claw, rather shorter than the joint from 

 which it springs (fig. 27, PI. VII. ). Inner branches of the first pair of thoracic 

 feet elongate and robust. A small blunt-pointed spine springs from near 

 the distal end of the first joint. The second joint is short, being only equal 

 to about one-fifth of the length of the first joint. Terminal claw stout, and 

 strongly hooked at the end. Outer branches are slender and three-jointed, 

 and about two- thirds the length of the first joint of the inner branches. 

 The second and third pairs are moderately stout, and have the inner 

 branches two and the outer three-jointed, — the inner branches being 

 shorter than the outer (fig. 28, PL VII.). In the fourth pair the inner 



* Simulans == mimicking. 



