Crustacea. 3679 



of an interesting locality in the northern part of the Island : the list 

 of the Mollusca of the Province of Moray is, however, delayed for a 

 little, that it may be made more complete than it now stands. Of the 

 Insecta of the district, which also should precede the animals now to 

 be treated of, it must be confessed that they have hitherto been almost 

 wholly neglected by naturalists. This neglect of a department of 

 Natural History which, in other quarters, is among the first to attract 

 notice, is much to be regretted ; and the more so, as a better field for 

 entomological pursuits is not often to be met with, at least in North 

 Britain. Here, within the range of a day's journey on foot, the ento- 

 mologist could pass from the rocky or the sandy sea-shore, first through 

 the low country, with its rich old cultivated fields, and then through 

 the moss and moor of the upper flats, to the subalpine heights of the 

 Grampians, which bound the southern part of the province ; while on 

 every side, woods (indigenous and planted), rivers and lochs invite his 

 search, by the fair promise of many a rare capture for his cabinet. In 

 the wheat-growing part of Moray, the temperature which, from the 

 natural drainage afforded by its wide-spread drift-beds and terraces of 

 gravel and sand, is higher by some degrees than that of the adjoining 

 regions, also holds out the prospect of this locality, were it thoroughly 

 examined, giving a more northern range for many species of insects 

 than is at present assigned to them. 



While a few are to be found on land and in the fresh waters, the ocean 

 and its shores form the great domain of the British Crustacea. Wher- 

 ever this wide domain can be approached from our sea-girt isle, let no 

 one despair of finding ample materials for the study of Carcinology. 

 It has been said that there are always rare plants where botanists re- 

 side : the same remark may be made of the Animal Kingdom. The 

 lap of Nature is ever full, and is spread widely out ; it requires but 

 the observant eye to detect, and the thoughtful mind to appreciate, 

 and to gain wisdom from, its ever-ready stores. 



Hitherto the Moray Firth has been reputed one of the more barren 

 of ocean fields for the researches of the naturalist. Resident observ- 

 ers have been accustomed to look upon its Crustacean Fauna as if it 

 consisted almost wholly of the crab (Carcinus Manas), the parten 

 (Cancer Pagur us), and the lobster; and beyond Pennant's notice of 

 his Astacus Bamfficus (Munida Rondeletii of Bell), there are few rare 

 species that have it recorded as one of their localities. The following 

 list of the Podophthalmi (Crustaceans having their eyes on foot-stalks) 

 will give, it is believed, a better augury of this locality, and will gain 

 for it a higher place than it was wont to hold in the estimation of 



