Crustacea. 5281 



died : about a month after which the old bird made another nest, and laid six eggs, 

 out of which she hatched five young ones, four of which are now alive. — Samuel 

 Gurney ; Carshalton, September 15, 1856. 



On Crustacea new to the British Fauna. 

 By R. Q. Couch, M.R.C.S.E. 



The publication of Professor Bell's work on the Stalk- eyed Crusta- 

 ceans of Britain has been of great service to all who pursue that 

 branch of Natural History. Being the production of an accomplished 

 crustaceologist, receiving information from observers on all parts of 

 our shores, it may be supposed to give a fair representation of all our 

 available knowledge systematically arranged. Being, therefore, a 

 summary of all that is at present known, it indirectly points out our 

 deficiencies, and gives definite directions as to what is required to be 

 done in future. This is at all times a very desirable thing, and espe- 

 cially so in Crustaceology ; since, judging from our periodicals, it is a 

 much-neglected branch of investigation. In the present communica- 

 tion 1 purpose to lay before the readers of the ' Zoologist' a descrip- 

 tion of several Crustacea which I think will be found quite new to our 

 Fauna. I have not hitherto been able to identify them with any spe- 

 cies described by those authors which I have been able to consult, 

 and am therefore unable to estimate their value in reference to the 

 geueral subject. If known, they are neither described nor referred to 

 by Bell ; and hence they become interesting to British Natural His- 

 tory. The first is a species of Axius, a genus composed but of one 

 species, and that but of rare occurrence. Having had an opportunity 

 of examining the recognized one, figured by Bell at page 228, 1 have 

 been able to compare it with the one which I now suppose to be 

 distinct. 



Axius. 



As the genus is one that rarely comes under observation, I may be 

 allowed perhaps to quote its characters, as introductory to what may 

 be said in comparison with the markings of the two species. 



General characters. External antennae nearly as long as the body ; 



the peduncle furnished above with a small moveable spine: internal 



antennae with two setae nearly as long as the carapace : external pedi- 



palps rather slender, pediform, joints nearly of equal length : anterior 



xiv. 2 z 



