85 



more especially as there is no mention of the woodliee in the 



Natural History of Bournemouth." 



The best known of the Ligiae is Ligia oceanica, the familiar 



Quay-louse " which occurs plentifully on the various quays 

 within our district and all along the coast at Swanage, Poole, 

 Mudeford, etc., where these fine Isopods may be seen in numbers 

 slipping from stone to stone or among decaying weed just above 

 high-water mark. This is the largest and in many way the most 

 primitive of our British Woodliee, and may almost be classed as a 

 marine species. It seems strange to find representatives of such 

 a typically terrestrial group living on the shore within reach of the 

 waves, but another British Woodlouse, Philoscia Couchii, is found 

 in similar situations. I have taken this species at Freshwater 

 Bay in the Isle of Wight, where it occurs in considerable num- 

 bers, but I have failed to find it anywhere else in the district. Its 

 •occurrence so far East is of great interest, as this species belongs 

 to the well-known West-coast group of animals and plants found 

 chiefly in Ireland, Cornwall and Spain. This species was 

 identified for me by Dr. Caiman, of the British Museum, who tells 

 me that there is no other record of its occurrence anywhere along 

 this coast. 



The majority of the other Woodliee found here are of little 

 interest to the general public. Oniscus asellus and Porcellio 

 scaber are, apparently, generally confused under the beautifully 

 indefinite name of "The Common Woodlouse," and several other 

 species are very plentiful in our gardens. The little blind white 

 Woodlouse, Platyarthrus Hoffmannseggii, is of some interest, as 

 it is only found in ants' nests, where it would seem to act as a 

 scavenger : it is very abundant in some parts of this district. 



Many species occur in greenhouses, and gardens are also 

 great hunting-grounds- On the whole I do not think that this 

 district is a specially good one for the Oniscoidea, but there is 

 everywhere a great deal of work to be done on this group. It is 

 probable that within the next few years a good deal of attention 

 will be paid to the Woodliee from an economic standpoint, but at 

 present far too little is being done in the matter. 



To the Anatomist, to the Classifier, and to the Economist, 

 the Woodliee form one of the most interesting groups. It is 

 earnestly to be hoped that public interest will shortly be roused 

 and that the study which they merit will be accorded to them. 



A LIST OF ONISCOIDEA (WOODLICE) EECOKDED FROM THE 

 BOURNEMOUTH AREA. 



W. Omer Cooper. 



Ligildae. 



Ligia oceanica Common along the shore, Christchurch, Poole, 



etc. 



Trichonlscidae. 



Triehoniscus roseus Greenhouses, Bournemouth. Under stones, 



Swanage. 



