2400 Crustacea — Arachnida. 



observed, in the open sea, but in the creek or " back-water," near a tide- mill, and al- 

 most at the back of the village. At this place the retiring tide leaves upon the mud 

 thousands of the above-mentioned fragile and elegant shells : such, at least, was the 

 case at the time of my visit, early in the summer of 1847; every bunch, or heap of 

 drift, &c, being clustered thick with them, generally containing the dead and decay- 

 ing animals. But it was in the water that the sight of these curious creatures most 

 delighted me ; and here I watched their movements at leisure, after securing an 

 abundant supply of specimens for the cabinets of my friends. As in the other Bullae, 

 the animals are so large in proportion as to make the shells appear but an inconsiderable 

 appendage, and, when at rest, partially to envelope them ; but in swimming the Bulla 

 akera seemed alternately to expand and contract the lobes of the mantle on each side 

 of the shell, — thus propelling itself forward, as well as sinking and ascending at plea- 

 sure, with a most graceful and peculiar motion. It was only in the hot sunshine that 

 we could succeed in obtaining a sight of these proceedings, and not always even then. 

 When brought home and placed in a glass of sea-water, they quite refused to gratify 

 us, merely hanging to the sides of the vessel, or moving only in the manner of a 

 leech. Amongst the multitudes left on the banks of the creek, and those obtained in 

 a living state from their native element, none were of large size, scarcely any ap- 

 pearing more than half grown, as compared with Devonshire and Irish specimens. 

 Few other shells occurred in company with these : there were two or three small spe- 

 cies of Littorina in some plenty, with Conovulus denticulatus and albus ; also the 

 young of one or two common bivalves. Cardium fasciatum has been found on the 

 shores of the creek, but I believe only as a rarity ; Bulla aperta in the open sea not 

 far distant, its pure glossy shells being blown like bubbles along the sands. — Id. 



Inquiry respecting the Preservation of Crustacea. — Many of the readers of the 

 ' Zoologist' are doubtless interested by the suggestions of the Rev. G. Gordon for 

 obtaining specimens* of Crustaceous animals, and would gladly avail themselves of 

 the proposed plan if acquainted with the method of preserving them. A few simple 

 directions for effecting this object, if published in the ' Zoologist' while the subject 

 is fresh, would be exceedingly acceptable. — Scoticus. 



On the Sense of Touch in Spiders. — Mr. Slater's communication (Zool. 2328) has 

 led me to pen the accompanying one as confirmatory of his observations. I have ob- 

 served, in the case of those spiders which haunt the crevices of dry walls and spread 

 their traps upon the surface of the stones, that unless their eyes possess a power some- 

 thing analogous to that of the Irishman's gun, it must be impossible for them to as- 

 certain by their means the fact of a fly's entanglement, much more the locality of 

 such an occurrence : but no sooner does an unfortunate alight on his premises than 

 forth conies the spider (sometimes from depths which rendered him altogether invi- 

 sible), ;m<l thai too very promptly, and, peering over the edge of the stone, examines 



