Crustacea — Annelides. 



8643 



doubt as to the species : it is the Raniceps trifurcatus of Fleming, a fish which my 

 late highly esteemed friend Mr. Yarrell appears never to have had an opportunity of 

 examining, but of which I once possessed a specimen, found amongst sprats offered 

 for sale, and which I somewhat carefully described in the thirteenth volume of the 

 1 Zoologist' (Zool. 4fi73). The extreme length of that specimen was 5\ inches, of that 

 now before me 8£; the circumference of the smaller specimen immediately behind the 

 pectoral fin 4£ inches, of the larger one 7, and this after the removal of the intestines. 

 Mr. Cornish has subsequently captured a third specimen with hook and line, and this 

 he kindly sent to me also, thus giving me a good opportunity of examining it had I 

 been able to give up the necessary time, but I have only had the opportunity of 

 makingj a few observations. The extreme length of this third specimen is 11^ inches, 

 and circumference behind the head 9 inches. The gape of the open mouth exactly 

 equals the greatest circumference of the body. In the interior of the mouth are five 

 clusters of fine and slightly recurved teeth, three on the roof and two below the 

 opening of the gullet; the first of these clusters is reniform, the next two nearly cir- 

 cular and placed transversely, and the two below the gullet also placed transversely 

 and somewhat pyriform, but the smaller extremity very acute and pointing outwards : 

 both jaws are also armed with sharp slightly recurved teeth, somewhat resembling 

 those of a shark. First dorsal fin composed of a single ray, which gradually tapers to 

 a point as fine as a hair. Ventrals composed of six rays abruptly decreasing in length, 

 the first an inch and a half long, perfectly white at the extremity, and ending in a fine 

 point; pectorals with twenty-two rays, each composed of four soft rays. — E. Newman.'] 



Are not Shrimps nocturnal P — The habits of the prawns and shrimps differ mate- 

 rially. Put the former into an aquarium, and they swim about vigorously, and are 

 always alert and vigilant, being as active, restless and inquisitive as monkeys in a 

 menagerie. Shrimps, on the contrary, are dull and stupid, and if there be sand in the 

 aquarium they immediately bury themselves up to the eyes, which alone remain 

 barely visible ; if there be no sand they speedily die. As so little is thus seen of them, 

 they are not very attractive objects in the aquarium. Upon approaching, the other 

 evening after dark, a vessel containing some specimens, which I had thought unpro- 

 fitable subjects from their being so little seen, I was agreeably surprised to find them 

 above ground, and still more so to observe that upon throwing the light of the lamp 

 full upon f 4 immediately buried themselves in the sand, and this they did 



repeatedly on being ousted from their favourite retreat. This points unmistakeably to 

 a nocturnal habit, and an extreme sensitiveness to light. — Thomas J. Moore, in 

 4 Naturalist's Scrap Book,' Part I. p. 4. 



A Sabella Building its Tube. 

 By Philip Henry Gosse, Esq., F.R.S., &c* 



The following particulars of a process of animal mechanics may 

 possess interest for readers who study Marine Zoology under aquarian 



* Reprinted from the ' Intellectual Observer ' for March, 1863. 



