886 Crustacea. 



near Eyemouth and Coldingham. They are about eight inches in 

 length, and of an elliptical form or pear-shaped, formed by matting 

 together the branches of some common Fucus, as, for example, the 

 Fucus nodosus, with various Confervae, Ulvae, the smaller Florideae 

 and corallines. These are all tied together in one confused compact 

 mass, by means of a thread run through, and around, and amongst 

 them in every conceivable direction. The thread is of great length, 

 as fine as ordinary silk, tough, and somewhat elastic ; whitish, and 

 formed of some albuminous secretion. The eggs are laid in the mid- 

 dle of the nest, in several irregular masses of about an inch in diame- 

 ter, each consisting of many hundred ova, which are of the size of 

 ordinary shot, and of a whitish or amber colour, according to their 

 degree of maturity. The farther advanced are marked with two round 

 black spots, which are discovered by the microscope to be the eyes 

 of the embryo, at this period disproportionally large and developed. 

 Masses of eggs, in different stages of their evolution, are met with in 

 the same nest. It is evident that the fish must first deposit its spawn 

 amid the growing Fucus, and afterwards gather its branches together 

 around the eggs, weaving and incorporating at the same time all the 

 rubbish that is lying or floating around the nucleus. 



" For the safety of its nest and spawn, the fish is apparently very 

 anxious for a time. Some individuals were watched, by Mr. Duncan 

 and the Rev. Mr. Turnbull, for some weeks, and it was observed that 

 the same fish was always in attendance upon its own nest. During 

 the time of hope and expectation, they become fearless, and will al- 

 low themselves to be taken up by the hand repeatedly. There can 

 be no doubt that their object in remaining near the nest is to guard it 

 against the attacks of such animals as might feel inclined to prey 

 upon its contents." 



Mr. Maclaren of Coldingham had also seen and watched the stic- 

 kleback in the act of making the nests just described. 



James Hardy. 



Gateshead, January 5, 1845. 



Opossum Shrimps. I have done nothing in Entomology as to collecting, but we 

 have strange things here ; opossum shrimps in the forest, connecting the Crustacea to 

 the fleas! — Wm. Sicainson;* River Hutt, near Wellington, New Zealand, Oct. 8, 1844. 



* Iii a letter to E. Newman. 



